


The Butterfly Effect

by SailorChibi



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Is So Done, Adrien Agreste Needs a Hug, Adrien Agreste is not a stray, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Alternate Timelines, Angst, Angst and Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Carapace, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting, Hand wavy magic, Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste, Hugging, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Plagg Cares, Possessive Behavior, Protective Adrien Agreste, Protective Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Queen Bee, Rena Rouge, Secret Identity Reveal, Supportive Tikki, Temporary Character Death, adrien agreste has a lot of anger, but can you blame him, hand holding, hand kissing, he is owned by one Marinette Dupain-Cheng, like the give the poor boy a break would you, so much hugging though, the whole squad is here to kick Gabriel's ass, these two are so meant for each other, why am i so mean to these poor children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-08-26 20:05:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16688044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: When Hawkmoth wins and wishes for a new timeline where Emilie Agreste is alive, Marinette and Adrien are the only other ones who remember everything about the old timeline. But Ladybug and Chat Noir don't know each other's identities, and coming together to beat Hawkmoth once and for all may not be as easy as it seems.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This idea _stole my brain_ and would not let go of me until I wrote it. This fic is actually complete and clocks in at about 22,000 words; I'll be posting as I get the chance to beta each chapter.

Ladybug hit the ground and gasped in pain as something cracked. Searing pain shot up into her chest, leaving her breathless. She rolled over onto her back and tried to sit up, but couldn't. The pain was agonizing. She fell back just as Hawkmoth's cane slammed into the middle of her rib cage, pinning her down; she couldn't help the scream that slipped out, and distantly heard Chat Noir yelling her name as Hawkmoth reached down. His smirk was cruel as he ripped her earrings out of her earlobes. As her transformation unraveled, her eyes focused on his hand and she realized that he was wearing the Black Cat miraculous already.

"No!" Marinette screamed, trying to move, but without her suit the pain was even worse and it felt like the pressure of Hawkmoth's cane was going to _suffocate_ her. All she could do was watch in horror as Hawkmoth slipped the earrings into his earlobes and closed his eyes. The world turned a blinding shade of white - 

Marinette lurched upwards, gasping for breath, and looked frantically around her room. Her body ached with remembered pain, but as she patted her chest, her shoulders, her midsection, she encountered no bruises, breaks or cuts. A quick look inside her tank top showed smooth, unblemished skin. She sat there for a moment, her heart racing beneath her fingers. Had that been a nightmare? But it had felt so real...

"Tikki?" she called out. "Tikki, I had a bad dream."

No one answered.

"Tikki?" Marinette crawled to the edge of the bed and looked around for her kwami. There was no sign of Tikki anywhere. But as she looked, she realized that something else was wrong. Her room looked different. Where were the photos of Adrien on her walls? Where was the hat she'd been knitting for Chat Noir to help keep him warmer in the winter? Where was the little nest she'd made for Tikki? Where had that pile of fabric in the corner come from? 

Slowly, Marinette descended the ladder and moved over to her desk. Nothing looked right. She didn't recognize the homework assignments spread across the top. When she looked at her computer, the desktop picture was of a catwalk featuring a young woman wearing a chic outfit. She backed away, confused, and swept her eyes across her walls again. It was now covered with pictures of models wearing different clothing. No Adrien, no Alya, no Nino, no class photo. No nothing. Something was seriously wrong.

"Maman! Papa!" Marinette called, suddenly frantic. She yanked up the trap door and almost fell down the ladder. "Hey! You guys!"

Tom was standing in the kitchen when she raced into the room. He turned, looking surprised and worried. "Marinette? What's wrong?"

"Oh, Papa. You're here." Marinette hugged him tightly. "Where's Maman?"

"What?" Tom said, the arms around her tensing. Marinette pulled back to look up at him, confused.

"What?" she asked with a growing sense of wrong.

"Did you hit your head yesterday?" Tom asked, a worried look on his face.

"No," Marinette said. Well, technically she had. She'd hit a lot more than her head. Hawkmoth had almost killed her. Would've killed her, had it not been for...

The wish. Marinette backed up, her eyes wide. Oh god. Hawkmoth's wish. 

"Papa," she croaked. "Why did you ask me if I hit my head? Where's Maman?"

Tom frowned and reached for a cloth to wipe his hands. He didn't look at her when he said quietly, "Marinette, you know your mother passed away three years ago. Did you have another one of those dreams? I thought we were - Marinette!"

Marinette didn't listen to her father yelling her name. She bolted for the exit to the apartment, barely pausing long enough to haul on a pair of sneakers. As she did, she came face-to-face with what could only be described as a shrine: Sabine Cheng smiled down at her from a picture atop a stand. There were five half-burned candles placed strategically around the photo. A small pile of Sabine's favorite cookies had been laid out in front of the photo. Marinette stared at it, heart in her throat and tears in her eyes, before the sight of Tom entering the room made her run.

"Marinette!" he shouted.

She ran downstairs and out through the bakery. It was pouring outside, and cold. She was soaked through in seconds, but Marinette didn't care. She put her head down and ran, following a route that she'd long since memorized. The whole way, she was _praying_ that Master Fu was still in the same location. If he'd moved, or if he'd never come to Paris, she didn't know what she would do. 

"Master Fu!" Marinette cried, racing up to the small shop. She banged on the door. "Master Fu!"

It seemed to take forever before the door opened. Master Fu blinked at her. "May I help you?" There was no recognition in his face.

Marinette scanned him quickly, her eyes falling onto the bracelet on his wrist. "I need the Ladybug miraculous!"

He recoiled, surprise filtering across his face. "What? Miss, I'm afraid -"

"No, no, please. I didn't mean it like that. Master Fu!" Marinette threw her arms out. He was trying to slam the door, and she was laughably weak: at one time, she would've been able to push the door open with her index finger. It was obvious that in this new timeline, her body had never become toned by running across rooftops and battling akumas. Master Fu nearly had the door shut and he was barely trying. Desperate, she blurted out the one thing that would make him stop and listen.

"Someone made a wish with the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculouses!"

Master Fu froze. "What?"

Marinette pushed against the door. "This isn't the right timeline. I'm Ladybug. I fight with Chat Noir. You gave us the miraculouses to stop Hawkmoth, the person who stole the Butterfly miraculous. I can prove it! Just please." Her voice caught on a sob. "Let me see the Ladybug miraculous. I'm begging you."

He stared at her for several tense seconds. Marinette met his gaze, shaking all over, silently pleading. She knew she looked a sorry sight; she was dripping wet, still in her pajamas, and young enough that most people would’ve dismissed her immediately. She didn’t know what she would do if he turned her away, but it wasn’t going to be pretty.

"Come in," Master Fu said at last. "It's raining, and you're not dressed for the weather."

"I ran all the way here. I woke up and - and Tikki was gone, and my mom is dead, and I don't know who Chat is." As soon as she said it, Marinette realized it was true. Suddenly, the water on her face wasn't just from the rain. She couldn't even go to her partner and cry in his arms because they weren't partners now. Did Chat Noir even remember what happened? Would he know to come to Master Fu?

She sank down before the table, her knees unable to support her. There had been too many shocks in a short period of time.

"Let me get you some tea," Master Fu said.

"Please," Marinette begged. "My miraculous."

He hesitated, then moved over to the grammaphone. Marinette kept her head bowed as he tapped out the combination, even though she'd seen him do it so many times that she could've replicated it in her sleep. He drew out the box and set it on the table, but this time there was no accompanying speech about how she would have to choose someone that she trusted to use a miraculous. Instead, he eyed her warily as he slowly opened the top. Marinette's breath caught in her throat at the sight of the earrings and ring, cushioned against the satin. 

It was so _wrong_.

Her hand flew out and she seized the earrings. Master Fu jolted, but before he could do anything a red flash lit the air and Tikki appeared.

"Marinette!" Tikki screamed. 

"Oh, Tikki!" Marinette burst into tears. Tikki looked _awful_. She was so pale, more light pink than red, and her eyes were glazed over with exhaustion. Her antennae fell low around her face instead of perking up high. Marinette reached out a shaking hand and carefully cupped her kwami, bringing Tikki up against her cheek. Tikki snuggled against her, tiny hands clutching onto Marinette with an ounce of Tikki's usual strength.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Marinette," Tikki whispered. "I thought that Hawkmoth might have..."

"Tikki, I'm so sorry," Marinette wept. "This is all my fault. I let him take the earrings."

"It wasn't your fault. You almost died trying to stop him," Tikki said, patting at Marinette's cheek.

Marinette just shook her head, momentarily overwhelmed to the point of speechlessness. She clung to her kwami for several long moments, until she felt like she'd gotten herself under control. Only then did she pull Tikki away, holding Tikki in the palms of her hands. Tikki looked up at her sorrowfully.

"What did Hawkmoth wish for?" Tikki asked.

"I don't know," Marinette admitted. "He didn't speak out loud."

"Maybe Plagg would know," Tikki said.

Plagg. Chat Noir's kwami. Marinette looked up, zeroing in on the ring, and grabbed it. Immediately there was a flash of black light and a little cat kwami appeared, looking like it was as in as bad a shape as Tikki was. Master Fu gasped, but Marinette ignored him.

"Plagg!" Tikki cried.

"Tikki. Bug," Plagg said, wavering, and Marinette put her hand up for him to land on. She quickly brought her hands together so that the kwamis could cuddle together. Tikki instantly wrapped her paws around Plagg.

"Are you okay, Plagg?" Tikki asked.

Plagg shook his head and looked around. "Where's Adrien?"

"Adrien?" Marinette echoed blankly. "Why would Adrien..." She trailed off.

"Oops," Plagg said.

"Oh my god," Marinette said. There was only one reason Plagg would be looking for Adrien. It was a good thing she was sitting down. There had been too many shocks in one day for her poor brain and all she could do was sit there and stare blankly at the kwamis.

Adrien Agreste was Chat Noir.

"Oh Plagg," Tikki sighed. "You shouldn't have done that."

"I thought he'd be here! Why isn't he here, Tikki?" Plagg was getting upset. His paws waved madly. "Your bug is here! Where's my kitten?!"

"Perhaps he couldn't come. You know what his father is like," Tikki said soothingly. 

"Adrien should be here," Plagg fretted. "Hawkmoth must've done something to him."

"Any damage Hawkmoth did would've been erased by the new timeline," Tikki pointed out.

"But Hawkmoth is Adrien's father!"

" _What_?" Marinette burst out.

"What?!" Tikki exclaimed.

"Excuse me," Master Fu said. All three of them looked up. Master Fu was kneeling on the other side of the table, now regarding Marinette with fascination. All traces of wariness had been wiped away. Waayz was perched on his shoulder.

"Hello, Master," Tikki said politely. "Thank you for giving my miraculous back to Marinette. It belongs with her."

Master Fu raised his eyebrows, but all he said was, "I can see that. I don't think I've ever come across a Ladybug who could make the Black Cat kwami appear. It shouldn't be possible."

Marinette was pretty sure she had transcended shock, or maybe she was just running on auto-pilot. At any rate, she was able to say, "But I didn't do anything. I just picked the ring up. Chat's ring. Adrien's ring." Her voice quivered, her eyes pooling with tears she didn’t let fall. She would’ve given her left arm for Chat Noir to walk in the door right then.

"It's okay," Tikki said, patting Marinette's hand.

"They have one of the strongest bonds of any Ladybug and Chat Noir we've seen," Plagg said unexpectedly. 

That was too much information. Marinette decided to ignore it. "Plagg, how do you know who Hawkmoth is?"

"When he took the ring off Chat Noir, he recognized Adrien and called him 'my son'." Plagg's tail lashed the air furiously. It was a sight that Marinette was familiar with, given that Chat Noir's tail often reacted in the same way.

Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth. Marinette couldn't say she was stunned by that revelation; she and Master Fu had suspected Gabriel for some time until he'd gotten akumatized. In the wake of Queen Bee getting akumatized, she didn't know why they hadn't reconsidered Gabriel as a suspect. He'd been right under their noses this whole time. And Adrien! God, poor Adrien. He'd been living in the same house as Hawkmoth all this time. Just the thought of it made Marinette feel sick, and she had to shift Plagg and Tikki into just one hand in order to press her free hand to her mouth.

"Master Fu, where is your bathroom?" Tikki said quickly.

"Through the door to your left," Master Fu said.

Marinette jumped up and hurried out of the room. She made it to the bathroom just in time, and promptly lost whatever dinner she'd eaten last night into the toilet. Along with being sick came a new rush of tears. Adrien was Chat Noir. If he remembered everything, why wasn't he here? What would Gabriel have wished for? Did Adrien remember everything? Had Gabriel locked him up?

"Shh, Marinette. It's okay," Tikki whispered, rubbing Marinette's shoulder.

"It's not okay," Marinette said, flushing the toilet and moving to sit on the floor. She looked at Tikki and Plagg. "You both look awful."

"That's what happens when someone who isn't Ladybug or Chat Noir uses our miraculous to make a wish," said Plagg bitterly. "Especially another miraculous holder. Tikki and I have to take everything on ourselves, instead of letting you two share the brunt of it. It'll be weeks before Tikki can transform you."

Her heart sank at that. Weeks.

"But once we can, you and Adrien can wish everything back to normal," Tikki said. "We can fix this."

They could fix it. Marinette clung to that thought. When she thought she could stand, and that her legs wouldn't immediately give out, she got to her feet. She washed her hands and face and wrung her hair out in the sink. Her clothing was still drenched and her skin was clammy. It was no wonder that Master Fu hadn't wanted to let her in. With her pale face, she looked like an akumatized version of herself. 

"Bug, do me a favor," Plagg said, landing on her shoulder. "Put my ring on."

"And your earrings!" Tikki chirped, landing on Marinette's other shoulder.

In the mirror, Marinette looked from kwami to kwami bemusedly. It was like those cartoons where people had an angel and a devil on their shoulders. "But the ring is Chat's," she said.

"I know that, and you know that, but I wouldn't put it past Master Fu to make you leave it here. If I can't be with Adrien, I'll be with you." Plagg set his jaw, tipping his little head up stubbornly. 

Marinette could have argued, but she didn't have it in her after the day she'd had. Besides, it wasn't like she felt comfortable leaving it here either. She needed to have it with her for when she got into contact with Adrien so that she could give it back to him. Wordlessly, she slipped her earrings into her ears - wincing at the memory of Hawkmoth cruelly tearing them out - and slid the Black Cat miraculous on her ring finger. It immediately shrank to fit her hand perfectly. 

"We need to find Adrien," Marinette said, leaning against the counter. "And we need to figure out what Hawkmoth wished for."

"Do you have your phone, Marinette?" Tikki asked.

"Uh..." Marinette checked her pockets. She'd run out of the bakery in such a rush this morning, she honestly didn't know what she did or didn't have on her. She had no memories of this new timeline, but it seemed that her counterpart had fallen asleep using her phone last night. It was tucked into Marinette right pocket. Miraculously, even though it shouldn't have worked after getting so wet, it turned on with no problem. Sometimes she really appreciated being Ladybug.

"Look up Gabriel Agreste and see if you can figure out what's different," Plagg ordered.

She obeyed, googling Gabriel Agreste. A pang shot through her heart when the very first thing that popped up was an article talking about the Agreste family attending a charity gala the night before. She clicked on the link and scanned it quickly. It was a little unusual for Gabriel to actually attend something, since in the normal timeline he had such a reputation of never leaving his mansion, but she supposed that wasn't too unusual. She scrolled down the to the bottom of the page and gasped when she saw the picture that was accompanying the article.

It was a family photo of Gabriel, Adrien and Émilie Agreste, posing together before a stage.

Marinette stared at the picture, her hands shaking for a reason that had nothing to do with cold. Gabriel had rewritten the timeline to get his wife, Adrien’s mother, back. Of course he had. And now Marinette's own mother was dead. Wasn't that what Tikki had always said? That when the Ladybug miraculous and Black Cat miraculous were used to make a wish, there was always an equal exchange?

“Shit,” Plagg breathed, summing up Marinette’s thoughts perfectly.

It didn’t look like Adrien was going to be showing up anytime soon.


	2. Chapter 2

His father was Hawkmoth.

Adrien was laying in a patch of rubble, barely conscious and trying to wrap his mind around that fact when Ladybug screamed. He yelled out to her and instinctively tried to get up, even though he could barely move the fingers on his right hand, and then suddenly the world _changed_. A brilliant white light washed over everything, and the next thing he knew he was laying in his bed.

“What?” he whispered, sitting up. It was kind of weird to be able to move again. He’d been bleeding out mere moments before. He pulled his pajama top up, looking at the skin on his stomach. There was no cut. No blood. Nothing spilling out of him that should’ve remained on the inside.

He looked around his room, but nothing had really changed. Something felt different, though.

“Plagg?” he called out cautiously. He wasn’t expecting to get an answer, but it still hurt when no glowing green eyes popped up to demand Camembert. What had his father wished for? Obviously he’d rewritten the timeline so that Adrien had never become Chat Noir, but there had to be more to it than that. Hawkmoth had appeared first, and Ladybug and Chat Noir had become heroes because of that.

Ladybug. The sound of her agonized scream rang through his head. He wanted nothing more than to leap out of bed and go charging to her side, but he didn’t know who she was. And it wasn’t as though he could transform and call her. She wouldn’t have her miraculous anymore either. Not for the first time, he regretted not pushing for her civilian phone number. He hadn’t because he’d known she would probably say no.

Besides, he realized, he didn’t know if that would’ve done them any good anyway. When he reached out for his phone, it was a different make and model than what he was to. It was extraordinarily unlikely that Adrien had the same phone number in this timeline that he’d had in the old one, and the same went for Ladybug. He had no way of contacting her – and that was if she remembered like he did.

Sighing with frustration, he sank back and pressed his hands to his face. It was a shock to not feel the cool touch of the Black Cat miraculous against his cheek; Adrien hadn’t taken it off since the day that he’d found the box. He lifted his hand and stared up at it. His bare finger looked so strange. He didn’t like it. He wanted his ring. He wanted Plagg. He wanted his lady.

If he didn’t have the Black Cat miraculous, then who did? Gabriel? Master Fu? One of those situations would be much easier to deal with. Adrien could figure out how to explain things to Master Fu. But Gabriel… god, he hadn’t even known his father had the Butterfly miraculous for two years. He’d never even guessed. There was no telling where Gabriel would’ve hidden the Black Cat or Ladybug miraculouses if he had them, and without Plagg searching the safe would not be that easy.

“Adrien?”

All thought ground to a stop. Adrien stopped breathing as he slowly turned to face the door. He knew that voice. That voice had been engrained into his memory. Every time he thought he was beginning to forget the sound of it, he’d call her phone just to hear her say her greeting.

“ _Bonjour, you have reached the voicemail of Émilie Agreste. Please leave a message and I’ll get to you as soon as possible. Salut!_ ”

“Adrien? Are you awake?” There was a gentle knock on the door.

It had to be Nathalie. It had to be, Adrien told himself. Yet that couldn’t stop the horrible hope that was blossoming in his chest. What else would Gabriel Agreste have wished for? Everything had changed on the day that Émilie Agreste slipped out of their lives. There was nothing else that Gabriel cared enough about. 

“Adrien? I’m coming in.” The knob turned and the door opened just far enough for Émilie Agreste to poke her head through. She smiled when she saw that he was sitting up and pushed the door open fully.

Adrien stared at her, drinking in the sight of his mother. She was wearing a pretty green dress that perfectly matched the color of her eyes; he distantly recognized the darker green ruffle, as well as the white butterfly design beneath her bust, as signatures of his father’s work. Her long blonde hair was clasped in a low ponytail behind her right ear, and fastened with a dark green barrette. She was wearing green earrings and white heels, because Émilie Agreste would never be caught dead in an outfit that wasn’t perfectly coordinated.

“You sleepy head,” Émilie said fondly, striding across the floor to grip the curtains and whisk them open. Sunshine poured into the room. 

He flinched at the sudden burst of light, still speechless. His lungs burned for air and he finally dragged in a breath, still staring at her greedily. The light pooled around her, making her look like an angel as she turned back to face him. 

“Adrien?” Her smile began to fade. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?” She approached the bed, hand outstretched. He had to lock his muscles in place to keep from flinching as the backs of her fingers made contact with his cheek. Her skin was so soft, her touch so gentle, and brought with it the scent of the lavender hand lotion that she favored. He’d missed that smell.

“Mother,” he breathed, eyes burning, and lunged forward to throw his arms around her. She yelped in shock, just barely avoiding being hauled onto the bed by bracing one knee on the mattress. Adrien didn’t care. He buried his face in her neck and this time smelled the jasmine and sandalwood perfume she always wore whenever she was going to be making an appearance in public.

“What on earth?” Émilie sighed. “Is this about the photoshoot? You know your father needs you there.” She ran her fingers through his hair. It was obviously meant to be a comfort; when he was little, she used to lay in bed with him and stroke his head and back for hours.

This time Adrien instinctively jerked his head away, pulling back from her. His skin prickled with unease and he fought the urge to hiss. No one was allowed to pet him but his lady. _No one_.

Émilie blinked at him. “Adrien? What’s the matter with you today?”

“N-nothing,” Adrien stammered, momentarily warring with his instincts. Part of him wanted to pull away entirely, while the other part of him wanted to cling to her. It had just been so long since anyone but Ladybug or his friends had touched him in an affectionate way. Apparently his cat instincts had decided that Ladybug was the only one who could do certain things without his permission.

She pursed her lips, eyes narrowing. “Is there something wrong?”

“No. No, of course not.” He drudged up a smile. His model smile, as Nino called it. His friends could always see through it no problem. So could Ladybug, for that matter; she never hesitated to call him out whenever she thought Chat Noir was being too stiff or formal. 

“Well, alright,” Émilie said. “You need to get up. Your photo shoot starts in forty-five minutes. Then you’ve got a session with your tutor.” She patted his shoulder and took a step back, straightening out her dress.

A tutor. Right. Of course. Anytime he’d brought the idea of going to public school up when she was alive, and he had on several occasions just because having a tutor was so _boring_ , both she and Gabriel had shot the idea down and Adrien had never wanted to go against both of them. Part of what had spurred Adrien into pushing to go to public school was that the mansion had become so suffocating without his mother around; her death had sparked the rebellious side of him that eventually led to the birth of Chat Noir.

He wasn’t sure how to put into words the emotions that swept over him at the realization that, in this timeline, he didn’t know any of his friends. Nino. Alya. Marinette. The rest of their classmates. Even Ms. Bustier, who was a far kinder and more attentive teacher than Adrien’s tutor. Their faces floated before his eyes and he swallowed hard. The only person he would know here was Chloé. 

“Mother,” he said hoarsely. “Would you ever consider the idea of letting me attend public school?”

Émilie clicked her tongue with exasperation. “We’ve had this talk before. I thought your father and I made it clear that we’re not comfortable with that. You’re already getting the best education with your tutor.”

“But my friends –”

“You have lots of friends,” Émilie said briskly. “You have the mayor’s daughter, and you’ve met plenty of other teens when you’re modelling. Those are the people you should be friends with. People who are worthy of your time.” She walked back to the door. “Now get up. I want you downstairs in fifteen minutes.”

Adrien watched the door close behind her and a cold feeling took root within his chest. Before her death, he’d always taken no for an answer. He’d never known what having real friends was like. Now, he wasn’t sure what to do. How could he just agree to never see his friends again? He didn’t even have Plagg anymore. The absence of his kwami made his already enormous room feel a hundred times more cavernous.

He sat there for a moment or two before realizing that his time was ticking down. He got out of bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower, where another unpleasant surprise awaited him: his body was back to the way it was before he’d become Chat Noir. He was still slender, or skinny as Ladybug would’ve disapprovingly put it, but with very little musculature. He doubted that he’d even be able to do a single pull-up. His father would probably be thrilled, as that meant more clothing would fit him without alterations.

He showered quickly and dressed, then went downstairs. As he entered the dining room, he realized that both his parents had beaten him there. Gabriel sat at the head of the table, as always, while Émilie sat to his immediate right. In a split second, Adrien knew that Gabriel remembered everything. Because there was no other explanation for the absolutely _besotted_ look on his father’s face as he watched Émilie prepare her morning tea. 

Gabriel Agreste had never been free with his emotions even before his wife died. Yet here he sat, naked affection and longing painted across his face, with a hand creeping out to take Émilie’s as though he just couldn’t help himself. Émilie visibly started at the touch, looking surprised, before she smiled and let Gabriel take her hand. They sat there smiling at each other.

Adrien was at once discomfitted and furious. On the one hand, it was amazing to see his parents together and happy. On the other hand, Gabriel had hurt hundreds of people – including his own son – to do it. No doubt Gabriel believed that hadn’t mattered, because now that the timeline was rewritten no one else remembered Hawkmoth. But Adrien remembered. He’d never forget laying on the Eiffel Tower with Ladybug while Hawkmoth stalked towards them, or laying in a pile of rubble while Hawkmoth wrenched his ring off.

Hawkmoth had taken this future away from him and Ladybug. Adrien would never get the chance to have breakfast with his lady, to hold her hand and smile and see her smile back. And maybe that future never would’ve happened anyway, but it should’ve been their choice. 

“Adrien,” Émilie said, “come join us.”

It was the last thing he wanted to do, but he made himself walk over to the table and sit. He unfolded his napkin for his lap, conscious of Gabriel’s eyes on the side of his head. He needed to be careful. He couldn’t let on that he remembered anything about the other timeline until he’d figured out what, if anything, he was going to do.

“Good morning, Mother, Father,” he said, just as he would have if his mother had never died. “I apologize for being late. I didn’t shower last night.”

“You know better than that,” Émilie chided gently. “But I accept your apology. You’ll just have to eat fast. I’ll be accompanying you to your photo shoot today. I’m very excited to see your father’s new line in progress.” She squeezed Gabriel’s hand, pulling his attention away from Adrien.

“What? Ah, yes, my new line,” Gabriel said.

“Remind me of the details, Father?” Adrien said innocently. It was risky, but worth it to see the mild discomfort wiping away that besotted look. Adrien had never been very interested in the fashion side of things. He was actually slightly more into it now because of Marinette; her genuine excitement in fashion had been hard to ignore, and may have rubbed off on him a bit.

Gabriel cleared his throat and reached for his cup of coffee. “I don’t have time to go into it now. You’ll see it at the shoot.”

“Right,” Adrien said, leaning back at his breakfast was set before him. It was the same plain oatmeal he’d been eating for years. He stared down at it, suddenly realizing that there would be very few treats in his near future. He’d gotten used to Ladybug bringing pastries on their patrols, or Marinette bringing pastries in the morning, or to occasionally slipping out with his friends to have a real lunch. The future looked green and leafy and depressing.

“Actually, I need to go,” Gabriel said, rising. “Adrien, do try to focus on bringing up your Spanish grade.”

That was a trap. With his tutor, Adrien didn’t take Spanish. That was a requirement that Collège Françoise Dupont had enforced on him. He pasted on a confused look. “Father, I’m not taking Spanish. I’m taking Mandarin Chinese. Are you planning for me to start?”

“No,” Gabriel said after a pause. “Forgive me, I’ve had a long night. Émilie, would you come help me for a moment?”

“Of course,” Émilie said, pushing her chair back. She took Gabriel’s arm and the two of them walked out of the room. Adrien watched them go and scowled at their backs until he realized that one of the maids was standing at the entrance to the kitchen, watching him. The servants in their house had always been loyal to Émilie so immediately, he wiped the expression from his face and turned back to his pathetic meal.


	3. Chapter 3

Finally, the bell rang and released Marinette from another endless day of school. Her seatmate, Nathanael, gave her a shy smile, but otherwise didn’t interact with her as he gathered his books and his bag. That was par for the course now. Marinette gave a smile to his back as he walked away – not that it mattered, since he didn’t look back at her as he left – and then slumped over with a faint moan, lightly slamming her forehead against her desk.

It had been three weeks since she woke up in the new timeline. Adrien hadn’t made contact with her, and she hadn’t been able to figure out a way to make contact with him. She’d tried going to one of his photoshoots, but the security was insane. Ladybug would’ve been able to get in no problem, but Marinette had been escorted out on three separate occasions within the span of five days. The fourth time, she’d caught a security guard eyeing her up before she’d even got to the shoot and had decided that maybe another way would be more prudent.

Unfortunately, she’d failed to figure out that other way yet. 

She’d thought that school would be a reprieve from everything, but no such luck. At least she wasn’t completely in the dark: thanks to the diary that her counterpart had been keeping, she understood why Alya, Nino and the rest of their classmates had been so standoffish on the first day she’d come to school. The stiff greetings she’d received had thrown her for a loop until she went home and found the diary.

Apparently, the Marinette in this timeline had pulled away from her classmates after Sabine died. And without Tikki and Ladybug to give her confidence, Marinette had never become class president or had the nerve to stand up to Chloé. So not only did she have no real friends at school, Chloé was even more of a bitch than usual. It was enough to make her school days very long and very tiring.

“Marinette, everyone is gone,” Tikki whispered from the purse. Marinette tilted her head and saw that two sets of eyes, one blue and one green, were looking up at her, and her heart _ached_. She missed her partner with a desperation that she hadn’t thought possible. Now that she knew Adrien and Chat Noir were one and the same, the loss was even more keen because it had seeped into every area of her life. There was no escaping it.

“I’m going,” Marinette said tiredly, standing up. She was working on becoming friends with Alya and Nino, but that was easier said than done. Without her and Adrien around, Alya and Nino had grown very close to Rose, Juleka, Kim and Alix. Marinette wasn’t sure yet where she could fit in their close-knit friend group, or if there was even a place for her now. 

That, plus the fact that this class was at a different place in the curriculum, had combined to make Marinette’s school life miserable. Who knew that the frequent akuma attacks had drastically slowed down the curriculum in her classes? Marinette sure hadn’t. Her classes were a good two months ahead of where her old ones had been. It wasn’t too bad in some subjects, but in others she was feeling completely lost.

On the good side of things, her grades here were stellar. Apparently being lonely and having no friends meant the Marinette in this timeline had buckled down and focused on her schoolwork. She was one of the best students in the class. Or at least, she had been before the timeline changed. Now, Marinette suspected that her grades were going to reflect the swap. The only good thing going for her school-wise was that she could be confident that she’d have a 100% attendance record.

She made her way outside and began the short walk home, bag thumping against her legs with every step. As soon as she got in the door, she knew her father would want her help in the bakery. That seemed to be the new norm now that Marinette didn't have friends or akumas to worry about. She couldn't say she hated it - she'd been helping in the bakery for so long that it was second nature - but she didn't love it, either. Baking had never been her passion.

"Are you okay?" Tikki asked.

"No," Marinette said miserably. People would probably think she was weird for talking to her purse, but who cared? "I miss my mom. I miss my friends. I miss Chat." She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Then go see him," Plagg hissed, popping up next to Tikki. "What are you waiting for? You haven't tried to see Adrien in over a week."

Marinette didn't respond, staring straight ahead and hoping that Plagg would drop it. The truth was, she didn't know if she _should_ go see Adrien. Maybe he was happy now. He had his mother back, and she knew that was all Adrien had ever wanted. If he saw Ladybug and realized there was a way to restore the timeline, he'd probably feel obligated to do it. 

She didn't want to be the one who took his mother away again.

This new timeline wasn't all bad. She had better grades. She'd entered a lot more design contests because of her extra free time; at this rate, by the time she graduated from university her future was going to be set, and she wouldn't have to worry about trying to explain frequent absences either. And it was nice to have time to finish a sketch.

Her father had coped with Sabine's loss a hell of a lot better than Gabriel had. The bakery was still going well. Sure, there was a new distance between them that Marinette wasn't sure how to cross. And sure, even though Tom tried to keep her busy in the bakery, he didn't spend a lot of time with her now. But he still hugged her and kissed her goodnight and good morning, and that was a hell of a lot more than Adrien had ever had.

It just wasn't as easy as Plagg was making it out to be. But Marinette wasn't sure how to put those thoughts into words that the kwami would understand. Plagg didn't seem to have as good of a grasp on human emotions as Tikki did. For him, it was black and white. Find Adrien, transform, and wish the timeline back to normal. Then celebrate with some cheese.

Right now, celebrating anything was the last thing Marinette felt like doing. She pushed the door to the bakery open and nodded in greeting to the woman manning the front counter. There were so many workers at the bakery now that she was having a hard time keeping them straight. Luckily, none of them seemed to expect her to remember their names.

Marinette spent three hours helping at the front, until the dinner rush had lulled. Then she took the opportunity to slip upstairs to her room and let Tikki and Plagg out for the first time that day. Tikki immediately flew over to their nest and snuggled in, while Plagg started whining for cheese. She set out the cheese danishes and cookies she'd smuggled up for them and moved over to take a seat at her desk.

Master Fu hadn't been happy about letting her leave with both the Black Cat and Ladybug miraculouses. His wariness had hurt a little, even though Marinette knew he had no reason to trust her. It was only the fact the ring had shrunk to fit her hand, and the hissy fit that Plagg had thrown when Master Fu had asked her to remove it, that had won him over.

She looked down at the ring now, tilting her hand so as to better appreciate the way the light shone off the silver. It was so familiar to her that she couldn't believe she'd never noticed it on Adrien's hand before. How had she missed that? Her own earrings turned the same color when they weren't active for crying out loud. It was so obvious in retrospect.

"Marinette? Are you okay?" Tikki asked again.

"I don't know what to do," Marinette admitted, clenching her hand into a fist. "If we turn things back to the way it used to be, then Adrien loses his mom again. How can I do that to him?"

"The kid was used to living with it," Plagg pointed out around a mouthful of cheese.

"Just because he was used to it doesn't mean it stopped hurting, Plagg," Marinette said, frowning at him. The loss of her own mother was certainly fresh enough that it was like a slap in the face everytime Marinette remembered. So far, the only thing that had kept her from collapsing completely was the fact that there was still a chance she could get her mom back. That hope was keeping her going.

"But you have to fix the timeline," Plagg said.

Marinette sank down onto her chaise. "Do I really?"

Both kwamis stared at her.

"I've been thinking about it. This world isn't so terrible."

"Marinette, you hate it here," Tikki said.

"Hate is a strong word," Marinette said, forcing a smile. "I can make friends with Alya and Nino again. Maybe I can even figure out how to see Adrien. He doesn't need to know I'm Ladybug, if he doesn’t remember." Her breath caught at that one, and she knew it would never work. If she ever saw her partner again, the truth would spill out in a matter of seconds. 

She thought she could get used to life without her mom, maybe. And she could even make do without Alya or Nino. But Adrien? Her precious kitty? Marinette didn't know how she could live without him.

Neither Tikki nor Plagg looked convinced by what she was saying. "What about your mother?" Tikki pressed, sitting up in the nest and looking intently at Marinette. "Or Hawkmoth? He stole your miraculous and made a wish. Are you okay with letting him get away with that?"

Marinette winced. "Not really. But... in the end, his wish didn't hurt anyone. There is no Hawkmoth in this timeline. People have never been akumatized." She twisted the ring on her finger, a nervous habit. "And... I'll miss my mom, of course I will. But Adrien..."

Tikki sighed and left the nest, flying over to her so that she could perch on Marinette's knee. "You can't put Adrien's happiness ahead of everyone else, including your own."

"Can't I?" Marinette said. "I had my parents for sixteen years. I know what it's like to be loved. Adrien doesn't have that, Tikki."

"Shouldn't you be talking about this with Adrien?" Plagg said, and Marinette looked over at him. He'd devoured the danish. "This isn't just your decision to make, Bug. It affects him too. He should have just as much of a say in it."

"You know what Adrien is like. He'll feel like he has to fix things as soon as he hears about my mother. He won't take himself into consideration," Marinette said. 

Plagg frowned. "That may be, but still. He deserves the chance to make that choice."

"I just can't." Marinette looked away, her gaze caught by the most recent picture she'd put on her wall. It had been taken about two weeks ago and showed Adrien, Gabriel and Émilie Agreste, along with Chloé and Mayor Bourgeois. Chloé was wrapped around Adrien's arm, beaming at the camera.

Adrien... was noticeably not beaming. He was smiling, but Marinette knew him well enough to know it was forced. There was something about him that made her think he remembered too. Maybe it was the way he was standing, or the glint in his eyes, or the way his head was cocked. She couldn't put her finger on what it was, exactly, but she thought it was there. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.

She stood and walked over to the picture, placing a hand against it. Dramatic as it sounded, what hurt the most about all of this was the future they'd been robbed of. She loved Adrien. Adrien loved Ladybug. It was like some ridiculous soap opera. Given time, she was sure they would've sorted through things. Whether they became boyfriend or girlfriend or remained platonic, they would've been the closest of partners.

Hawkmoth had stolen that from them. It felt like he should be punished for that. Yet to punish Gabriel Agreste also meant punishing Adrien, who deserved everything good in the world, and Marinette couldn't figure out what the better choice would be. This whole situation was a huge mess.

"You're making a mistake, Bug. I know Adrien better than anyone," Plagg said. "You need to talk to him."

"How?" Marinette asked, turning around and spreading her hands. “I'm open to suggestions, you guys, I really am. Plagg, you said it yourself. The only reason you haven't gone to Adrien is because Adrien is _never alone_. His mom or dad or Nathalie is _always_ around, and you were afraid of getting caught. I'm pretty sure Gabriel knows who I am. He'd freak out to see me around Adrien."

Plagg scowled. "You would find a way if you really wanted to."

"Don't say that like I'm not trying, because I am," Marinette snapped. "Adrien hasn't tried to see me either, you know. He also hasn't contacted Master Fu. My phone number can't be that hard for him to get. Hell, he knows where I live and the bakery doesn't have nearly the kind of security system that the Agreste mansion does. This isn't just on me."

“Maybe he can’t if he’s surrounded at all times. Maybe he doesn’t want to tip his father off that he remembers,” Tikki said.

“I didn’t think about that,” Marinette admitted. She didn’t like the thought of Adrien being in danger because he was around Hawkmoth constantly – unless Gabriel didn’t remember either. Tikki and Plagg seemed to think that he would because Gabriel was the one who’d made the wish, but they didn’t know that.

She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. She hadn’t worn her pigtails since waking up here. Instead, she either wore her hair loose or in a bun. It just didn’t feel right otherwise. She wished she could transform into Ladybug for even a few minutes; being Ladybug always made the world make more sense. But Plagg and Tikki were both still a few days off, maybe even a week, from being able to do that. Regular sleep and food were helping them both, but their healing was slow going.

Damn Hawkmoth. Damn him for everything. Marinette stripped and went to take a shower. When she returned, both Plagg and Tikki were sleeping on her pillow. She snapped the light on and wearily crawled up her ladder to curl up underneath the blankets. Overhead, she could see the night sky. It was a reminder of all the nights after patrol that she and Chat Noir had spent star watching, and she missed him so fiercely that it physically hurt.

Maybe Plagg was right. Maybe he was wrong. She didn’t know anymore, and trying to figure it out was making her head hurt. She’d never known that becoming Ladybug would mean having to make decisions about human lives. There was no Miraculous Cure that was going to make this better. It was way too much pressure for a sixteen-year-old girl.

She pulled the covers up over her face and squeezed her eyes shut. It took a long time for her brain to stop whirling so that she could fall asleep – and once she did, her sleep was restless. She tossed and turned, and by the time her alarm went off she felt more exhausted than when she’d gone to bed. That was, until she sat up and realized that Tikki was the only kwami on her pillow.

And that the ring on her finger was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Three weeks. It had been _three weeks_ and Adrien was ready to spit nails. He dug his nails into the desk and tried to reign in his temper. It really wasn’t Professor Liu’s fault that Adrien was at the breaking point. His Chinese teacher had never been anything but polite, if somewhat reserved, and that, at least, had been one thing that hadn’t changed in this new timeline. As a result, Chinese lessons had become something of a reprieve.

“Ah, Adrien, I believe our time has ended,” Professor Liu said in flawless Chinese. “Please remember to do your homework.”

“Thank you, Professor,” Adrien said, inclining his head. He stood and gathered his things, taking longer than necessary to put them all into his bag. He knew that either his mother, Nathalie or the Gorilla would be waiting right outside the door to escort him to the next place, and frankly Adrien had _had it_.

He never would’ve believed there could be a timeline where his schedule was busier than before, but apparently he’d found it. It seemed like there was something to do or somewhere he had to be every second of the day. And when he finally got home at night, he was either in the company of his mother or stuck in his bedroom with the Gorilla right outside the door. And without Plagg, and with Émilie taking to bursting in on him at random times, sneaking out had become next to impossible.

It was all combining to make Adrien want to pull his hair out. He _needed_ freedom. He craved it. This body may never have been Chat Noir, but the catlike instincts had carried over in some respects and that included a desire to feel the wind on his face and the stretch of his legs as he ran. At this point, he would settle for a stroll down some dark alleys. 

But if Gabriel and Émilie had their way, that was never going to happen.

With no more excuses to delay, Adrien walked slowly towards the door and found the Gorilla waiiting for him. This version of the Gorilla was much more serious, and less willing to allow Adrien to slip away every now and then. He was escorted to the car and then driven to his next duty: a photoshoot that took much of the day. By the time he finally got back to the mansion, he was tired, hungry and grumpy.

Nathalie was the one who greeted him at the door, already talking about his schedule. Adrien let her words wash over him as he trudged up the steps, not really listening. It would just be more things he had to do or places that he was required to be, and frankly he wasn’t interested. He took an unfair amount of pleasure in closing his bedroom door in her face.

“I… have… had it!” he yelled at his empty room, throwing his bookbag at the wall. He was starting to feel like a caged animal and he didn’t know how much longer he could take it.

He wasn’t cut out for this. He didn’t want to be the model son. Maybe once he’d been content to fill his days by pleasing his mother and father, but not anymore. Adrien had discovered what it was like to be happy. He _craved_ the feeling of his lady’s hand in his. He wanted to hear Nino’s music. He wanted to see the genuine excitement in Alya’s face as she got another scoop for the Ladyblog. He wanted to see Marinette’s shy smile.

He’d looked his friends up online out of curiosity. Nino’s and Alya’s lives were largely the same, though Alya didn’t have the Ladyblog, of course. But Marinette, on the other hand, had been dealt quite a blow in this new timeline. He’d been saddened to stumble across an article talking about the death of Sabine Cheng. She’d always been kind to him when he visited the bakery, and it was hard to think about his kind friend having to live with a loss that Adrien himself was so familiar with.

His mother was, after all, the one shining spot in this new timeline. Adrien was so happy to have her around again. Sometimes he thought he wanted to undo this and go back to the old timeline, but then Émilie would smile at him or hug him or join him at a photoshoot and his resolve would die a quick death. He’d missed her so much. He didn’t want to lose her again. 

Hand-in-hand with that, though, was the fact that Émilie’s presence made Gabriel happy as well, and Adrien didn’t know how much longer he could handle seeing that. Why did Gabriel get to be happy after all the things he’d done? It didn’t seem right. He’d terrorized so many people. He’d almost killed Ladybug and Chat Noir. Surely he deserved to be punished? 

At least he could be sure that Gabriel no longer had the Black Cat or Ladybug miraculouses. Two days after Adrien had woken up in the new timeline, he’d overheard his father asking his mother if she’d taken any jewelry out of the safe – specifically, a ring and a set of earrings. Émilie had denied taking the jewelry. It was the first time Adrien had seen Gabriel truly upset since the timeline changed. He’d carefully hidden himself away during the resulting temper tantrum, not wanting to become a target for his father’s rage.

The question then was where the miraculouses were. He was hoping that Master Fu had them, but hadn’t been able to let go of the niggling thought that they were with someone else. As a result, Adrien had lost several hours to scouring the internet for signs of superheroes. Not just in Paris, but anywhere. His research hadn’t turned up anything, but doubt still plagued him. Maybe Master Fu had chosen another Ladybug and Chat Noir in this timeline. Maybe Plagg was out there with someone else. That thought hurt more than Adrien wanted to admit.

He needed to get to Master Fu to ask, but again getting out of the house alone was so difficult now. Émilie was much more involved with her son’s life than Gabriel had ever been. There was an excellent chance she would notice if he slipped out for even an hour. At first, Adrien hadn’t wanted to go just for fear of upsetting her. But as the days dragged on, he was beginning to lose patience. 

He threw himself down on his bed face first and groaned loudly, the sound muffled by the sheets. It was almost the time when he would've been getting out of school if this were the old timeline, and he wondered what his friends were doing. Sometimes they were busy, whether it was baby-sitting or helping out at the bakery or recording music, but sometimes all three of them were free. Adrien usually had something to occupy his time, but if he was lucky he would be free too. Those were the best days, when they'd go sit in the park or go to the movies or even just walk around Paris. He missed that almost as much as he missed his lady.

Ladybug. Thoughts of her had not gotten any easier to bear. If anything, Adrien missed her more with every day that passed. He missed her confidence and how she always knew what to do. He missed the way she'd roll her eyes when he made a pun. He missed how flustered she'd get when he flirted just a bit too much. He missed the feel of her hand when he bent to kiss it, the sound of her voice, the sweet smell of what he assumed to be her perfume - a scent of vanilla and warm cookies clung to her constantly - and the sight of her bright blue eyes shining at him from behind the red mask. He missed _her_.

"Adrien!"

For a moment, Adrien thought he was dreaming. He sat upright so fast that a muscle in his back protested and stared in shock at the sight of the kwami that was speeding towards him. Plagg dropped something on the bed and zeroed in on Adrien, pelting into him so hard that Adrien was knocked flat by the impact. He bounced against his pillows and then stayed there for a moment, stunned. Seconds later, a familiar black head was hovering over his face. 

"Adrien! Are you okay? Where have you been? Don't you know we've been waiting for you?" Plagg demanded. 

"Plagg?" Adrien said dazedly. This had to be a dream, but it also couldn't be a dream. His chest ached too much where Plagg had hit.

"If you're just going to lay there, the least you could do is get me some Camembert. Ladybug can't afford it."

"Plagg!" Adrien cried, remembering just in time that the Gorilla was literally standing right outside his bedroom. He lurched up and grabbed his kwami, pulling Plagg up against his face. The feel of the fur against his cheek was overwhelming. He'd missed Plagg as much as he missed Ladybug. No one had ever told him how hard it would be to go from having a constant companion to being alone all the time - not that he was alone, considering there was always someone with him, but it wasn't the same. With Plagg around, Adrien had never felt lonely.

"I'm glad to see you too, but you're squishing me," Plagg said, voice coming out much higher than usual.

"Uh, sorry." Adrien lightened up on his grip and really looked at his kwami. "Wow. You look... terrible." A rush of concern filled him as he took in the greyish tint to Plagg's typically all black fur. 

"You should've seen me three weeks ago. I could barely fly. Hawkmoth making that wish really took it out of me and Tikki," Plagg replied. 

Feeling a swell of guilt, Adrien bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I should've -"

"Ugh, please. Tikki and I have already done this song and dance with Ladybug. I really don't want to have to do it with you too. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't her fault. Hawkmoth got the better of both of you. He literally almost killed you before he got your miraculouses away from you. Neither Tikki nor I could ask you to do more than that," Plagg said impatiently. "Just accept that and let's move on, okay?"

Adrien blinked at him. "Um... okay?"

"Good. I've been waiting for the chance to get to you, but you're _never alone_. What is up with that?"

"My father remembers. I think he believes I don't, but he's increased my studies and photoshoots. I have almost no free time. Even when I'm home, my mom or Nathalie or the Gorilla are always around," Adrien replied absently. His attention had zeroed in on the object Plagg had dropped, and his heart was suddenly pounding as he reached out and picked up the Black Cart miraculous. A part of his soul clicked back into place when he slid the ring on, and he felt like he could breathe for the first time in _weeks_.

Plagg stroked his chin. "He probably thinks you know who Ladybug is and is trying his best to make sure you don't make contact with her. Not a bad move on his part, considering how easily you would've done that had you gone back to school."

Adrien froze. "Wait, what?" His brain played back everything Plagg had said, and he grabbed the kwami again. "Hang on. Have you been with Ladybug all this time?!"

"Yes," Plagg wheezed. "She came flying into Master Fu's shop the morning after the timeline reboot and talked him into giving her the Ladybug miraculous. I made sure she didn't leave without me."

"You know who she is," Adrien breathed, feeling a pang of jealousy over Ladybug's freedom. He could've done the same thing, but not without making life a thousand times harder for himself. If he'd gone flying out of here like a bat out of hell that first morning, his father would've known immediately that Adrien remembered everything. He'd have been lucky if Gabriel hadn't locked him away. 

"Of course I do."

"Take me to her, Plagg. _Please_."

Plagg blinked and, in a softer tone than Adrien had ever heard from his kwami, said, "Of course."

Adrien let him go and leapt out of bed. Suddenly he didn't care if Émilie walked in on an empty room. Let her and Gabriel freak out. He had Plagg back, and Ladybug was tantalizingly close. He took just enough time to use his old standby - iPod switched on to play one of his piano lessons - before he scrambled over to the windows. It was theoretically possible to climb out and down the mansion without Chat Noir's powers, but it was a hell of a lot harder. Still, now Ladybug wasn't just a dream. She was something tangible that he could be holding in his arms very shortly. Nothing was going to stop him.

Fifteen minutes and a fall into some bushes later, Adrien was limping out of the gates. Plagg had mentioned the school, and that was where Adrien was heading. His heart quickened as he neared the familiar building. He'd always enjoyed school. He drew even with the gates and watched enviously as the front doors opened and kids began to flood out. Most of them looked the same as they had in the old timeline. This could've been any day, really. 

"Who is she?" he hissed at Plagg.

"She's right there," Plagg said, as opposed to saying a name, and Adrien was ready to scold him when he looked up and saw his old classmates.

More specifically, he saw _her_.

Alya and Nino came out of the school first, but Adrien barely spared them a glance. It was Marinette who his eyes were glued to as she stepped out the front doors and moved to the side to let some people go down the steps first. Her face was downcast and her shoulders were slumped, a far cry from the happy girl that Adrien remembered. She was wearing her hair loose instead of the pigtails she used to favor. The sight of the new hairstyle seemed to make something in his brain shift, and realization hit him like a punch to the gut. Marinette. It was _Marinette_.

"Marinette," he breathed.

"Finally," Plagg said, which was all the confirmation Adrien needed.

He was running before he could stop himself, effortlessly sliding through the crowd, screaming her name. " _MARINETTE_!"

The sound of his scream made a lot of people turn around and stare at him. Adrien didn't care, because Marinette had looked up too. The sight of her blue eyes was like a balm on his battered heart. Even from a rapidly decreasing distance, he saw her eyes go wide and her lips move, forming his name. Then suddenly he was at the bottom of the steps and she was half-running, half-falling down them; he opened his arms and she leapt off the third step into them. The momentum was enough to swing them both around in a circle, but all Adrien could focus on was the fact that he finally had his lady in his arms again.

"My Lady, My Lady," Adrien whispered. It seemed to be all he could say. He ran his hands over her hair, feeling the soft, silky locks, then touched her earlobes. The Ladybug miraculous warmed beneath his fingertips. He stroked his fingers down her neck, then over her shoulders and down her back. She smelled like vanilla and cookies.

"Oh, _Chaton_ ," she sobbed in reply. "I've missed you so much."

"I missed you too," Adrien said, his own eyes wet. He buried his face in her hair and vowed that he would never let her go again.


	5. Chapter 5

Marinette could feel the weight of the eyes on them as she stood there and clung to her partner. This really wasn’t the best place for their reunion. Adrien was well known enough amongst kids their age that at least one person would’ve recognized him; she was certain that the rumor mill would be going crazy and that, within the next half hour, every teenager in school would know that outcast Marinette Dupain-Cheng had leapt into the arms of fashion model Adrien Agreste.

Yet she couldn’t bring herself to care. Adrien’s arms were locked into place around her, pressing her against his warm body and filling her with a sense of safety and familiarity. One hand was in her hair and the other was against her lower back. She had her own arms twined around his neck. She’d missed this so much. She couldn’t stop the sobs that shook through her. Adjusting to this new time line had been _so hard_ without her precious partner. 

It was only a pointed prodding against her hip that spurred her to move. Knowing that Tikki was getting impatient, Marinette pulled back and cupped Adrien’s face. Now that she knew the truth, she could envision Chat Noir standing before her instead. She’d never known whether the transformation changed Chat Noir’s eye color or hair color. Now she knew that it didn’t, that it only changed his hairstyle. 

“Plagg went and got you, didn’t he?” Marinette whispered.

Adrien nodded. “I finally had a spare moment to myself. Imagine my surprise when he came bursting in.” He showed her his hand, and Marinette’s heart swelled with gratitude to see the Black Cat miraculous back on his finger where it belonged.

“We have a lot to talk about,” Marinette said. “Come with me?”

“I’d follow you anywhere, My Lady,” he vowed, and she blushed at the look of utter certainty in his eyes. 

As hard as it was to stop hugging him, Marinette made herself do it. She was relieved when he grabbed for her hand instead, intertwining their fingers. Ignoring all the staring and whispering, they walked out of the schoolyard together and headed for the small park where they’d frequently shared lunch with Alya and Nino – the park that, in another timeline, had housed a statue of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

She noticed Adrien glancing at the spot where the statue should’ve been and wondered if he found it as odd as she did not to see it there. It had been awkward at first, seeing images of her superhero self all over Paris, but gradually Marinette had gotten used to it. Now it was the opposite: it seemed strange to walk around and not see any mentions of Paris’s famous duo, or hear anyone talking about them. She wasn’t sure she liked it.

They found a spot behind a tree, away from prying eyes, and Marinette opened her purse to let Tikki out. At the same time, Plagg popped out of the pocket of Adrien’s overshirt. The two kwamis settled down on the grass between them. Marinette reached into her bag and pulled out a small bag of cookies and a container of cheddar cheese. She set both down within easy reach.

When she looked up, Adrien was staring at her with an expression that could only be described as adoring. Marinette flushed again. “I-it’s been hard on them, trying to regain their energy,” she said defensively. “It’s easier if they can eat regularly.”

“We’ll heal more quickly now that Plagg is back with Adrien,” Tikki piped up, pulling a chocolate chip cookie out of the bag. “There’s a reason why one person can’t hold more than one miraculous at a time; two of us need more energy than one person can give.”

“You scared me this morning when you were gone,” Marinette said, looking down at Plagg.

Plagg’s cheeks puffed up. “I told you it wasn’t just your decision to make. Since you couldn’t get to Adrien, I got to him for you.”

“You were trying to get to me?” Adrien asked Marinette.

“Well, yes. Plagg told me who you were. I tried to get into a couple of your photoshoots, but…”

Adrien was already shaking his head. “Yeah, no. Father’s had them locked down. I’m pretty sure it was specificially because of you, actually. So far I’ve been fooling him into believing that I don’t remember what happened, but I don’t think he fully believes me. You’ll have to make extra sure you stay out of sight, Plagg. He’ll freak out if he catches sight of you. As it is, I’ll probably have to wear my miraculous around my neck and not on my hand.”

“Has it been awful?” Marinette asked, setting a hand on his arm.

“It hasn’t been great,” Adrien said quietly. “I’m so mad at him that I can barely even look at him sometimes. I was so happy to find out he didn’t still have our miraculouses. I think I really would’ve lost it if he had.”

Marinette pursed her lips, feeling awful for him. “But your mother… she’s okay, right?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. It’s weird having her back, but nice. What did Plagg mean about a decision?”

The sudden question made Marinette blink, and she suddenly remembered why she hadn’t been sure she wanted to make contact with her partner. She averted her gaze and said, “You and I can wish the timeline back to normal with our miraculouses.”

“Really?” Adrien said, sounding shocked.

Tikki spoke up. “Yes, really. If our proper wielders make a wish, it takes a lot less energy out of Plagg and I because you and Marinette can share the burden.”

“And you… don’t want to?” Adrien touched her cheekm and Marinette looked at him.

“You have your mother back, Adrien. I can’t take her away from you.”

Adrien’s eyes widened in surprise. “Marinette…”

“That’s not the only factor here, Bug, and you know it,” said Plagg.

Marinette looked away from Adrien’s too green eyes to frown at Plagg. “I know that. Obviously,” she said testily. “But it’s a very important factor that you’re not putting enough weight on.” She scowled harder when Plagg stuck a cheese-covered tongue out at her.

Adrien glanced back and forth between them, then addressed Tikki. “What’s going on?”

“When someone makes a wish on our miraculous, there’s an equal exchange,” Tikki said before Marinette could stop her. “If something is given, then something else is taken away.”

“That makes sense. It’s a basic principal of science,” Adrien said. He was quiet for a moment. Marinette saw the moment that it clicked. His head snapped up and he stared at her in horror. “Your mother?”

She bit her lip, then nodded slowly. “I… I think so.”

“Oh my god, Princess. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, and I don’t want you to feel guilty, Adrien. This was Hawkmoth’s wish, not yours. You shouldn’t feel bad for benefitting from it.”

He just shook his head. “How can you not want to wish the timeline back to normal?”

“Because!” Marinette got to her feet so that she could pace. She needed to move. “It’s not that easy! I had sixteen years with my parents, Adrien. I have sixteen years of memories, of knowing that they loved me. Papa struggled, but he’s adapted to life without Maman way better than your father ever did. He still loves me.” She faltered. “I-I mean, that’s not to say your father doesn’t love you –”

“It’s fine, I get it,” Adrien said with a wave of his hand. He watched her with obvious concern. 

Marinette hesitated, then continued. “I know how much you’ve missed your mother. Your life is significantly better when she’s here. I don’t want to be selfish.” She turned away, ringing her hands together. “Besides, it’s not like my life here is so terrible. Yes, Maman is gone and I don’t have friends like I used to. But my grades are great and I’ve entered so many design contests in the past two years I’ll probably have my pick of internships. And there’s no track record of absences to weigh me down.”

“Mari.” Arms wrapped around from her behind, pulling her back against Adrien. Into her ear, he whispered, “I don’t want to be the reason that you don’t have a mom. I know what that’s like.”

She was not going to cry. Marinette put her hands over Adrien’s and controlled her voice. “You’re not the reason. At least, you’re not the only reason. I just don’t think the matter is as simple as Plagg is making it out to be.”

Adrien rested his forehead against the nape of her neck. “No, it’s not. I love having Mother around, but a part of me can’t make peace with the fact that Father got what he always wanted. It just… it seems like he should be punished somehow. It’s not right that he hurt so many people and abused the power of a miraculous. I know he thinks none of it matters because he erased the timeline, but…”

“But it does matter,” Marinette finished, knowing exactly how he felt. She was grateful to hear Adrien saying the same words that had gone through her mind so many times. She didn’t know how she would’ve felt if Adrien had come here saying that he wanted to forgive his father for what he’d done. Understandable as that reaction would’ve been, Marinette knew she would’ve found it a hard pill to swallow.

“Exactly.” Adrien sighed. “Part of the reason I’ve been so mad at him is because of you.”

“Me?” Marinette said, surprised.

“He _hurt_ you, Bugaboo. I heard you screaming before he made his wish. And he’s done everything to keep us apart since. I couldn’t even get the time to go see Master Fu.” He rubbed his cheek against her neck, sending chills down Marinette’s spine. “I was scared. Scared that Master Fu wouldn’t be there, and I’d make life harder for myself for no reason. Scared that maybe in this timeline, the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculous had been given to someone else.”

Marinette sucked in a sharp breath; she hadn’t even considered that.

“No way!” Plagg exclaimed. He flew up in front of them. “Are you kidding me? I have a kitten I like just fine, thank you very much. No outsider can break the bond between a kwami and their proper Chosen. It’s a little different for someone like Gabriel and Nooroo, because he _stole_ the Buttefly miraculous and is using Nooroo against his will. Tikki and I chose you two.”

“So… he couldn’t have made that a part of his wish?” Marinette said.

“He could’ve tried,” said Tikki. “But it wouldn’t have worked.” She sounded almost smug about that, and Marinette smiled just a little.

“What if,” she said slowly, “we made a wish for a third timeline? One where both our moms were alive? So we could have the best of both worlds?” Within the circle of his arms, she pivoted to face her partner. One look at Adrien’s face told her that her suggestion wouldn’t work.

“You heard Tikki. An equal exchange. That just means someone else’s mom would be taken away in exchange for ours,” Adrien said. “Plus, there’s the Butterfly Effect.”

Marinette wrinkled her nose. “The what? Is that something to do with the Butterfly miraculous?”

He grinned and pressed their foreheads together. “Not exactly. It’s part of chaos theory. Basically, it’s the idea that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly’s wings can cause a tornado months later. Two seemingly unrelated things can actually be caused by each other. It’s impossible to think of every potential consequence for wishing a new timeline into existence; the tiniest change could lead to huge repercussions.”

“You really think it would be that big of a deal?”

He nodded seriously. “Letting both of our mothers live could end up destroying the world.”

“Really? You think our mom’s would destroy the world?” Marinette said skeptically.

“No, but I think that you’d be surprised by how far a small change can radiate. Take your mom, for example. I know you said your dad seems to be coping okay without her, but you don’t know what kind of effect her death has had on people you’ve never met. Something as insignificant as a smile or kind word she gave to someone one day could’ve saved their life. Conversely, something my mom said or did to someone could have a very negative consequence.”

“I hadn’t thought about that,” she admitted. It made sense. It would be selfish of her and Adrien to create an ideal world for themselves while leaving other people to deal with the consequences. One way or the other, one of them was going to be left without a mom.

“It was a good idea,” Adrien said softly. “Thank you for trying.”

Sensing that he was losing hope, Marinette grabbed his hand. “Hey. We haven’t decided yet what we’re going to do. I’m open to talking about it more. It will be at least another couple of days before Tikki and Plagg could transform us even if we wanted them to.”

“Yeah, but I don’t know how much longer I can spend away from you.” Adrien squeezed her hand. “Being away from you and our friends… being cooped up in the mansion all the time… it’s so much _harder_ now, Mari. I didn’t know what I was missing when I was a kid, but now I do. I just want to jump out the window and run across the rooftops with you.”

“I miss that too,” she whispered. “But… do you miss it enough to give up your mother again?”

“I don’t know.”

They looked at each other for a moment. Marinette wished she knew how to make everything better. It didn’t seem right that Adrien was going to lose his mom again so soon after getting her back. And if that was the only factor to take into consideration, she would’ve happily stayed in this timeline. But, much as she hated to admit it, Plagg was right. There was more to think about than just that.

“If we go back, you’ll become an orphan when your dad gets arrested,” she pointed out.

Adrien’s smile was bitter. He lifted her hand and kissed it. “I’ve thought about a lot. Sometimes I think it would be worth it to see some justice done.”

Her heart ached for him; she wrapped her arms around his neck again to hug him. “You have a cell phone, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s exchange numbers. I can’t bear to be out of contact with you again.”

“Please,” Adrien said fervently, releasing her to scrabble in his pocket. He brought out his phone and Marinette recited her number, watching as he typed it in and saved it under the heading of ‘Princess <3’. Then they looked at each other again, knowing that it was time to part. Neither of them wanted to go.

“Text me,” Marinette said.

“I will. My Lady.” Seemingly unwilling to say goodbye, Adrien caught her hand again and kissed it. He backed away from her a few steps and waved. Marinette waved back, her heart in her throat as he turned and walked away. Every so often he’d turn and look back at her, until finally he had to turn a corner and was out of sight.

Marinette’s chest ached. She splayed a hand over her heart. It hurt so much to see him go right after they’d been reunited. She wanted to run after him and beg him to stay, but she knew that she couldn’t. Adrien was just barely keeping Gabriel’s suspicions at bay right now. If Gabriel saw the two of them together, all bets would be off and that would put Adrien in an incredible amount of danger. As it was, there was a big risk that Gabriel would see photos of them on social media. She hoped Adrien would be careful.

“It’ll be okay, Marinette,” Tikki said, just as her phone pinged. Marinette pulled it out and looked at the message.

**Unknown: I miss you already, princess**


	6. Chapter 6

Miraculously, no one had noticed Adrien’s absence. It took a lot of effort to get back into his bedroom without drawing attention; he crawled in through a window on one of the lower levels, then darted upstairs. He’d left the exterior door to his bathroom unlocked, and was able to slip inside without the Gorilla noticing. He splayed out on his bed and immediately continued texting with Marinette.

That was how things were over the next four days. It was like, having had a taste of his lady again, an obsession had been set off. Adrien couldn’t get enough of her. He craved her attention like a dehydrated man thirsted for water, and texting was the only way to get it since they both agreed it was too risky for him to sneak out again. They talked long into the night, until one or both of them passed out. She was his first thought in the morning and his last thought before he fell asleep.

Some pictures of them together did show up on social media; he found them the following morning. Looking at them, he knew he’d been stupid to run up to Marinette while she was at school. He should’ve waited. He wore the Black Cat miraculous around his neck constantly, keeping Plagg nearby, and felt as though he was walking on eggshells, waiting for his father to confront him. But Gabriel stayed away from the mansion, and neither Nathalie nor his mother said anything even though they must’ve realized that it meant he’d left the mansion without permission. 

Émilie was actually the one who approached him about it first, when she came across Adrien feverishly texting during a break on a photoshoot. She came over and sat down beside him, watching him with an amused smile. It took longer than it probably should’ve for Adrien to register her presence and react; he looked up at his mother with a faint blush and quickly hid his phone away.

“Sorry, Mother. I was talking to a friend.”

“A friend,” Émilie said, her smile deepening. “Oh, Adrien, you must think me a fool indeed if you believe I can’t tell that you’ve fallen in love. Who is the lucky lady? That young woman in those photos?”

Lucky lady, indeed. Adrien beamed at her, but on the inside he was thinking fast. “Yes, that’s her. I met her on one of my photoshoots,” he said at last. “That was dumb of me, but we hadn’t seen each other in so long… her parents don’t agree with her being a model, so we’re keeping our friendship on the downlow.” The lies rolled off his tongue smoothly. After years of having to come up with on-the-spot reasons for his absences, he was far better versed in lying than your average teen.

“Oooh, a secret,” Émilie said with a giggle.

“Mother, it’s not like that,” Adrien said, blushing slightly. “She’s just a friend right now.” That, at least, wasn’t a lie.

Émilie’s eyes twinkled. “That was quite the embrace for just a friend,” she commented. “But okay, I believe you. Can you at least tell me about her?”

“She’s amazing,” Adrien said immediately. “The best person I’ve ever known. She’s so _strong_. She stands up for what she believes in no matter what. But she’s so kind and compassionate at the same time. She always has something nice to say about everyone… unless they provoke her first,” he added, thinking of Chloé. “She’s also funny and sweet and _beautiful_.” He sighed dreamily, Marinette’s blue eyes flashing before his. 

“Just a friend, indeed,” Émilie said, giving him a gentle nudge in the ribs. “She must have some bad qualities.”

“She can be stubborn, especially when she thinks she’s right. And sometimes she jumps to conclusions. I think she might be insecure, too. Whenever I’m around her, I just want to take her in my arms and tell her how incredible she really is.” 

“She sounds like a very nice girl. Maybe some night you can bring her over for supper,” Émilie suggested.

Adrien paused, reality crashing over him. No, he couldn’t. Gabriel would recognize Marinette immediately, and he’d probably bar Adrien from seeing her. It was honestly shocking that Gabriel hadn’t done so already. Émilie had almost always gone along with what Gabriel wanted, so it was unlikely she’d fight for them. Adrien could, and would, leave his father’s household to be with his lady, but that would mean he wouldn’t get to see his mother anyway. 

He swallowed, ducking his head. “Maybe,” he whispered. “Mother?”

“Yes, Adrien?”

“I love you.”

Émilie paused for a moment, surprised, then said, “I love you too, Darling. What brought that on?”

“Nothing,” Adrien said, looking up at her. She looked lovely today in a shell pink pantsuit and an ivory blouse, with her long blonde hair loose around her shoulders. He committed her image to his memory. Whatever else happened, he would not regret having had this extra month with her. He’d done his best to spend as much time with her as he could over the past few days, wanting to remember every extra minute that he could. He’d need those memories after this was all over.

“There must be something,” Émilie said, looking worried. 

“I just… you’re right. This girl isn’t just my friend. I love her. I love her so much I would die for her.” His hands trembled and he clenched them into fists. “I would give up anything for her. I’d choose her every time.”

“Oh,” Émilie breathed, and then she smiled and put a hand on Adrien’s knee. “That kind of love is a valuable thing. It reminds me how your father and I felt about each other when we first met.”

Adrien flinched at that. He didn’t want to have his love for Marinette be compared to Gabriel. He didn’t want to think he would ever do the kinds of things that Gabriel had done. He stood, keeping his back to his mother, and touched the chain he’d strung around his neck. The Black Cat miraculous warmed to his touch, detectable even through the fabric of the shirt Adrien was wearing. He would never misuse his powers like that.

“I’m going to miss you a lot, Mother,” he said quietly. “I hope you can be proud of me.”

Émilie stood too, and rested her hands on his shoulders. “Adrien, look at me.”

He turned slowly, looking into her eyes. In her heels, they were of a height. Émilie wore a very serious expression now. She kept her hands on his shoulders, meeting his gaze, as she said, “I am, and always will be, proud of you. You’ve grown into a wonderful man and I’m honored to call you my son. I want you to fight for that young woman of yours, Adrien. Fight for her, and don’t ever let her go.”

She couldn’t have known what they were really talking about, but her words were a balm for his heart regardless. Adrien crushed her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her slender frame and tucking his face into her shoulder. For a few precious seconds, as she hugged him back, he felt like a child again, safe and secure in his mother’s arms, and he wanted it to last forever.

Then the door opened and Gabriel entered. His father’s presence cast an immediate cloud over the room. Adrien tensed, staring at his father over his mother’s shoulder. It took Émilie a bit longer to notice, but once she did she ended the hug and stepped over to greet her husband. Gabriel smiled at her, but it was an empty smile: his eyes were cold and remained fixed on Adrien. 

“What’s this,” Gabriel said, slowly and awfully, “about a girl you want to fight for?” He sounded mocking.

Adrien’s heart sank straight through the floor and crashlanded somewhere in the basement as he realized that Gabriel had been listening at the door. Eavesdropping on what was supposed to be a _private_ conversation. He didn’t know why he bothered to be mad; in spite of all the lectures Adrien had received over the years about propriety, Gabriel Agreste had never once practiced what he preached.

They looked at each other, father and son, and for the first time in years, there were no secrets between them. Adrien knew that Gabriel knew everything, and Gabriel knew that Adrien knew. What Adrien _didn’t_ know was what kind of scheme his father was coming up with. And there had to be something. 

“Oh, it’s wonderful. Adrien’s in love,” Émilie said, unaware of the tension in the room. 

“Is he, now?” Gabriel said. “I hope it’s not serious.” His smile was unpleasant. “I’ve talked to the Board, and they all agree that it could benefit the company immensely if the three of us relocated to Italy for the next five years.”

Adrien stared at him, dumbstruck, while his mother squealed with excitement. So that was it. That was why Gabriel hadn’t said anything over the past four days. He’d been putting this into motion instead: he was going to force Adrien to leave Paris and Marinette behind. No doubt Adrien’s phone and access to social media would all be locked down the second they were out of the city. He’d be even more alone than ever.

And suddenly, Adrien was at his limit. He couldn’t stand here and even entertain the idea that he could _ever_ leave Paris. He was Chat Noir; Paris was his home, _their_ home, and he could no more leave this city than he could leave his lady or Plagg behind. He took one last look at his mother, who’d walked over to take Gabriel’s arm, and summoned every ounce of strength he possessed.

_Goodbye, Mother._

“I disagree,” Adrien said coldly. “You two have fun in Italy, but I won’t be coming with you.”

“What?” Émilie asked. “Adrien, I know that –”

He cut her off. “Tell me, Father. Did you ever feel even a little bit bad for everything you did? All those people you hurt? You almost killed me, you know.”

A muscle in Gabriel’s jaw ticked. “I knew you remembered.”

“I find that hard to believe. You would’ve done something sooner if you had,” Adrien pointed out. 

“I was hoping you would be smart enough not to be foolish.”

“You’re one to talk about foolishness,” Adrien said, voice soft. “You really thought that making everyone else forget would absolve you of your sins? That’s not how it works. For what you’ve done, you deserve to go to jail for a very long time. And I intend to personally make sure that happens.”

“What are you talking about?!” Émilie burst out, looking wildly between her husband and son.

“Adrien, don’t be stupid,” Gabriel warned.

Adrien just shook his head. His mother and father were blocking the door, but they were on the first floor and the window was open to let some fresh air in. He moved quickly, bracing a hand against the windowframe and skilfully leaping out the window. Émilie screamed his name, and that hurt. But he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t give Gabriel that edge. Not now, not ever again.

He put his head down and _ran_ without looking back.

Collège Françoise Dupont was in session. It was only 10:29am on a Thursday morning, after all. Adrien’s lungs burned as he sprinted up the steps and shoved the doors open. The empty halls were at once familiar and strange. He panted loudly as he took off, retracing the path to Ms. Bustier’s classroom. He burst into the classroom, startling Ms. Bustier into dropping the book she’d been reading from.

“Adrikins?” Chloé exclaimed, rising to her feet. “What are you doing here?!”

Adrien didn’t spare her a glance. His eyes zeroed in on Marinette. She’d half-risen to her feet, eyes wide and worried. Silently, he held a hand out to her. Marinette immediately pushed her chair back and rounded her desk, moving down the stairs towards him. He met her halfway, choosing instead to grip her shoulders. She brought her hands up and placed them over his, eyes roving over him.

“ _Chaton_ , what happened?”

“He knows,” Adrien said breathlessly. “He wants us to move to Italy. I – I might have yelled at him for keeping us apart, and told him that I’d make sure he went to jail.”

“You – you what?!” Marinette squeaked. 

“I know. We were going to talk about it more. But Princess, I’m _done_ talking. I got to say goodbye to my mom this time and that’s all I could’ve asked for. I know she loves me, and I love her and I’ll miss her every day, but it’s not enough.” He paused, momentarily overwhelmed. 

“Are you sure?” Marinette said, her gaze steady. “Once we do this, we can’t go back.”

He nodded. “I’ve been over it countless times in my head. I know that you have too. This is the right thing to do for all of us.”

Marinette closed her eyes for a few seconds. A tear ran down her cheek. But when she looked at him again, she was steady. “Okay. If we’re going to do it, then it has to be now. He’s probably going to be sending an akuma after us anytime.”

“Marinette!” Ms. Bustier had finally gotten over her shock, it seemed. “What is going on? Your friend can visit you after class.”

“Adrikins! Why are you clinging to her?” Chloé whined at the time.

Adrien ignored them both. “I think Plagg is good to go. Is Tikki?” He let go of her just long enough to snap the chain around his neck and slide his ring on.

“She says she is.” Marinette hesitated, eyes flicking around. “Here? Really?”

He shrugged helplessly. “Why not? It’s not like anyone is going to remember once we set the timeline back to normal. It’ll probably be the only time we get to transform in front of other people.” He attempted a smile, trying to inject some levity into the situation, and failed miserably. His chest felt too heavy, and Marinette was looking at him with so much compassion that it hurt.

“Okay. Tikki, spots on!” she yelled.

“Plagg, claws out!” Adrien called a beat later, punching the air. Plagg was sucked into the ring and his transformation washed over him. He couldn’t believe how much he’d missed it. And when he glanced up and saw his beloved partner standing before him, her beautiful blue eyes watching him through the red mask, he could’ve cried.

Gasps and murmurs of shock ran through their audience, but none of them were in a position to understand what was happening. The names ‘Ladybug’ and ‘Chat Noir’ meant nothing to them. It was weird to catch a glimpse of Alya and see that she didn’t even have her phone out, when in another timeline – another _life_ \- Alya’s screaming would’ve been heard all the way to the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

“Remember,” Ladybug said, “we’re going to wish ourselves back to that morning.”

“I remember, Bug,” Chat Noir said. He couldn’t forget. This was something else that he’d gone over repeatedly.

Ladybug nodded and reached for her yoyo. “Lucky Charm!” she cried, throwing it into the air.

“Cataclysm!” Chat Noir shouted. The familiar pulse of destructive energy shivered through him before coalescing into the palm of his hand. He looked over at Ladybug and saw that she was holding her Lucky Charm; it was a picture of all their classmates, including Nino and Alya, and Marinette’s parents. Chat Noir’s throat tightened when he saw it, and Ladybug had fresh tears in her eyes.

“ _Mon minou_ ,” she whispered, reaching for him with her free hand.

“My Lady,” he murmured back, gladly taking her hand. They stared into each other’s eyes as Ladybug held out her Lucky Charm. Chat Noir gently set his hand over hers. As the destructive energy of Cataclysm came into contact with her Lucky Charm, he felt the world _move_.

Chat Noir thought hard about their old timeline, and about that morning in particular, and kept his eyes locked onto his lady until the world went white.


	7. Chapter 7

Marinette woke up in bed again. She bolted upright and grabbed for the wall to steady herself, sweeping her eyes over her room frantically. There were the pictures of Adrien. There was the physics homework she'd been struggling to get through. There was the hat she'd been working on her for partner. Most importantly, there was Tikki: her kwami was all snuggled up on Marinette’s pillow, sound asleep beneath a little blanket. Marinette touched her body gently, shaking Tikki from her slumber.

"Tikki, wake up. I think it worked!"

Tikki's eyes fluttered open. "Marinette? Oh!" She sat up, eyes wide, and they stared at each other for a breathless moment.

"Marinette!" a familiar voice called out, breaking the silence. “Are you up? You’ve only got fifteen minutes before school starts!”

" _Maman_!" Marinette fell down the ladder in her haste, banging her elbow and knee in the process. She didn't care, scrambling for the trap door. Tikki had barely enough time to fly over and dive into Marinette's pocket before Marinette was down the stairs and sprinting down the hall and into the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway, gasping for breath, and greedily drank in the sight of her parents. Sabine was setting a plate of toast on the table, while Tom was pouring them all orange juice.

"Oh," Sabine said in surprise. "You actually got up. You’ve got just enough time to eat fast if you - are you feeling okay? You’re so flushed."

"Maman!" Marinette cried, flinging herself forward and wrapping her arms around her mother. Sabine let out a yelp and then laughed, hugging Marinette back. 

"My goodness. What's this for?" she asked.

"I had a terrible dream," Marinette whispered, blinking back tears. She was being hugged by her mother, and she could see her father grinning at them over Sabines’ shoulder. There, at least, was Tom's _real_ , whole-hearted smile. It lit up his whole face, including his eyes. Marinette stretched out a hand to him and he gladly walked over, wrapping his huge arms around them. It felt so good to be in the middle of a family hug that she could have stayed there forever. She would never take the love of her parents for granted again.

"Your bad dream is over now, my sweet," Sabine said softly, kissing Marinette’s temple. "Have some breakfast with us. I’ll write you a note if you’re late."

Marientte wanted to. She wanted to _so much_. But… "I can't. I have something to do. Something important,” she said, reluctantly pulling out of their arms. She took a few steps back. “But... Maman, Papa, could Adrien stay with us for a while?"

Her parents exchanged confused looks, and then Tom said, "Why would he need to do that?"

"I'll explain later," Marinette promised, backing towards the door. They hadn't said no, which was a good starting point as far as she was concerned. Her parents adored Adrien, so she was pretty sure that they'd both say yes once news of what was going to happen to Gabriel Agreste reached them. She took one last look at them while she jammed her feet into the closest pair of shoes, memorizing the sight of their confused smiles, and then turned and ran down through the bakery. They called after her, but Marinette didn't have time to answer their questions right now.

She had a supervillain to help stop.

It was raining out again, but she didn't care. She and Adrien hadn't arranged a place to meet, but she was pretty sure she knew where'd he be. He'd frequently mentioned how much he missed attending school, and it was a Tuesday, which meant that's where he would've normally been headed. Today was anything but normal, but she still ran towards the gates of Collège Françoise Dupont. 

She splashed through a couple of puddles on the way there, soaking the bottom of her pajama pants. Her hair dripped around her face as she stopped right in the middle of the entryway and stared.

There he was. Adrien was standing about ten feet away, talking to Nino and Alya. The sight was enough to make Marinette feel ten times lighter. She clasped her hands to her chest, drinking in the sight of her partner and her dearest friends. Nino and Alya were standing underneath an umbrella; Alya was clutching her phone and rambling away, probably about something related to the Ladyblog - if Marinette remembered correctly, there had been a fight that Alya had managed to catch on video that she'd been psyched about. Nino and Adrien were listen to her with identical amused smiles, occasionally exchanging knowing grins.

"Thank god," Marinette whispered to herself, blinking back tears. Then, louder, she called out, “Adrien!"

His head snapped up and he turned towards her, arms open. Marinette smiled so widely that her cheeks ached and let herself run towards him. For the second time, she threw herself at him. He caught her with such ease that she wanted to cry; clearly, their enhanced abilities were back. He swept her up into such a tight hug that Marinette was left feeling breathless, but all she wanted was for him to hug her even tighter. She wrapped her own arms around his neck and clung to him, doing her damndest to keep from bursting into tears right there in the schoolyard.

"What the hell?" Alya burst out, reminding Marinette that they had an audience. There were a lot of students staring at them in bewilderment. Chloé and Lila in particular looked like they were having silent breakdowns. Marinette didn’t spare any of them more than a glance as she reluctantly released her partner, keeping one hand on his shoulder simply because she couldn’t bear to let go fully.

Gently, she pressed the fingers of her free hand to his cheek and whispered, "It worked. I'm so sorry."

Adrien's eyes brightened, but he took a steadying breath and shook his head slightly. "I'm not. Like I said, this time I got to say goodbye." He set a hand over hers, holding her hand to his cheek.

"Dude," Nino said. "Are you okay?"

"Marinette, why are you wearing your pajamas?" Alya asked at the same time, sounding baffled. “Why are you hugging Adrien? What is going on?!”

"Can you guys do us a favor?" Marinette said, looking over at their friends. "Can you meet us in the park in exactly one hour? It's _really_ important."

Alya was looking back and forth between them with an increasingly bewildered expression. "What's going on?" she repeated.

"We'll explain later," Adrien said, unknowingly echoing Marinette's words from earlier. "Please?"

"Yeah, of course," Nino said, frowning a little. "Well be there, right Babe?"

"Right," Alya said. "Of course. But why - "

"See you then," Adrien said, grabbing Marinette's hand. She turned with him and they ran out of the schoolyard. Marinette couldn't help giggling as they ran; she lengthened her stride, letting her enhanced speed out to play. It was a wonder to see how easily Adrien kept up with her even outside the suit. They matched each other step for step and it was _the best feeling in the goddamn world_.

They didn't have to speak to know their destination. And this time, Marinette didn't bother to knock at Master Fu's door. She grabbed the knob and twisted it, pushing the door open. The familiar fragrances that Master Fu favored drifted out to meet them, and she inhaled the comforting scents deeply as she stepped inside. Adrien followed, still holding her hand, and pushed the door shut behind them. Together, they ventured forward into the main room.

"Ah, Marinette. Adrien. I've been expecting you," Master Fu said, smiling up at them. "Won't you have some tea?" He gestured to the fully set table. Waayz nodded at them from where he was sitting on a little pillow on the table. Marinette smiled back distractedly.

"There's no time for tea, Master. We need the other miraculouses," she said, though she did kneel down at the table because it was the polite thing to do. Adrien knelt beside her, so close that he was practically on top of her. She didn't care. He could sit on her for all he wanted; he'd never be close enough.

"I need to know why," Master Fu said, a look of concern on his face as he knelt.

"Hawkmoth won," Adrien blurted out.

Master Fu froze. "What?"

"In another timeline, Hawkmoth won. He stole our miraculouses and wished for the timeline to change," Marinette explained, leaning her head against Adrien's shoulder. "Adrien and I were the only ones who remembered. It took about a month for Tikki and Plagg to regain enough energy for us to be able to wish this timeline back." She carefully didn't mention the fact that she and Adrien had heavily debated whether or not they should. That was a secret that would remain between the two of them, Tikki and Plagg.

"It's true, Master," Tikki said, emerging from Marinette's pocket. She waved at Waayz, who looked too dumbstruck to wave back. 

"Good heavens," Master Fu said, paling. "Are you alright?"

"We're fine now," Tikki said, landing on Marinette's shoulder and nuzzling her. "Marinette took good care of us until we could return Plagg to Adrien." As though summoned by his name, Plagg's head popped out of Adrien's pocket, though he made no move to come out.

"How did this happen?" Master Fu asked fretfully.

"He blindsided us," Adrien said bluntly. "In about -" he glanced at his phone " - three hours, he's going to release an akuma. One of the most powerful akumas Ladybug and I have ever faced. We'll be able to defeat it, but it will take everything we have. And when we're at our most exhausted, that's when he’ll attack. We won’t have the strength to stop him."

"That's why we need the other miraculouses," Marinette explained. "Hawkmoth won't be expecting our allies to be there. Adrien and I have come up with a plan to take him down for good."

"I never expected that this day would come. I'd always hoped..." Master Fu trailed off and stood. He reached for the gramophone and lifted it down, setting it on the table between them. He punched in the code and the top opened to reveal the box, which he brought out. Marinette's heart thudded in her chest at the sight of the Fox and Bee miraculouses, and she gripped Adrien's hand tightly.

"Master," she said, "you should know that this time, I'm not bringing the miraculouses back."

"Marinette -"

Marinette looked him in the eye. "No. I understand your concern about having too many active miraculous holders. But the fact of the matter is, Adrien and I came very close to dying when Hawkmoth ambushed us. We didn't have the time we needed to come get the miraculouses from you. There have already been times in battle when we were just barely holding on, and I had to leave my partner to come here. It's not right; Chat could've died while I was gone.” Her heart thudded at the thought. “Ladybug and Chat Noir work the best when we're together. Nothing will ever become between us. But that doesn't mean we don't need the help of our friends."

"Marinette..." Tikki said softly, staring up at her with approval.

"Good going, Bug," Plagg said, nodding. 

Adrien wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her a silent squeeze.

Their support felt amazing. Marinette was more sure than ever that she’d made the right choice. From day one, she’d listened to Master Fu and obeyed his every instruction. She’d never challenged him, believing that he knew best. But in this one thing, she was convinced that she was right. The days where she and Adrien had the luxury of returning to the shop to get their comrade’s miraculouses were long gone. Now, they needed a team that could be on site with them at any time.

Master Fu didn't look very happy, but nor did he turn her request down. He was quiet for a moment, staring at the two of them consideringly. At last, he said, "I have always been wary of sending too many miraculouses out into the world after we lost the Butterfly and the Peacock. The more that are active, the harder they are to keep track of. If I allow this, then you two will be responsible for whatever happens."

"Of course," Marinette said with a nod. She wasn't worried. She trusted Alya and Nino, and even Chloé was slowly starting to become a trustworthy superhero. At the very least, being Carapace, Rena Rouge and Queen Bee brought out the best in all of them, just like being Ladybug and Chat Noir brought out the best in her and Adrien.

"Master," Waayz said, looking up at him.

"It's time, Waayz. I'm an old man. I'm not fit for battle anymore, and haven’t been for some time." Master Fu removed the bracelet and set it on the table before them. "I wish you the best of luck, Ladybug and Chat Noir. Make sure you choose allies that you can trust."

"I already have," Marinette promised, picking up the bracelet. Waayz vanished in a puff of green light that was sucked back into the bracelet. Apparently, her ability to sustain other kwami was limited to Plagg. She found she didn't mind as she picked up the Fox and Bee miraculouses. The thought of how excited their friends were going to be when they found out they got to keep their miraculouses this time made her smile, and she cradled the three miraculouses against her chest carefully.

"Thank you, Master Fu," Adrien said.

Master Fu inclined his head. "You are welcome. And Adrien... I'm sorry about your father."

Adrien tensed slightly, but nodded; they hadn’t told Master Fu that Hawkmoth was Gabriel, but Marinette supposed he’d heard enough to form his own conclusion. After all, Gabriel had been a strong suspect before becoming akumatized. She put her hand on Adrien’s, sensing that it was time to go, and Adrien quietly got up. She stood as well, scooping Tikki up with her free hand, and followed Adrien out of the shop. She didn’t look back.

“You should text Chloé,” Marinette said as they emerged back outside. It had stopped raining, but the clouds looked dark and threatening. Yet she knew for a fact that within the next hour, the storm would move on. She and Chat Noir had nearly died beneath the sun.

Without a word, Adrien pulled out his phone. She peeked over his shoulder and saw that he was texting Chloé and asking her to meet them in the same place as Alya and Nino. Even though she was in class, Chloé immediately wrote back demanding to know why and where Adrien was. He didn’t answer, instead locking his phone and putting it away. He looked back at Marinette.

“She’ll be there. I said it was important.”

“I saw,” Marinette said. She wasn’t sure what to say or do. Adrien was probably in overdrive just like she was. In the span of one day, he’d lost his mother all over again and was now going to have to face his father in battle. It just wasn’t fair.

She set a hand on his shoulder and gently turned him so that he was facing her, then stepped forward and slid her arms around his midsection in a hug. It was the only thing she could think of. Chat Noir had always been tactile, seeking out her touch in any way he could get it. Now that she understood the basis behind that – Adrien probably got painfully little affection or touch in his day-to-day life – a part of her regretted every pushing Chat Noir away, and she vowed that she would never do it again. 

He stayed stiff for a long moment before suddenly melting against her. His arms came up and wrapped around her with a desperation that was unmistakable. A choked sob escaped into the air between them, and Marinette bit her lip as she realized her partner was breaking down. Breaking apart. Gabriel Agreste had finally scored a blow that had shattered his son apart.

“I’m so sorry,” she breathed shakily, letting him lean into her. She held him up with ease, never more grateful for her strength. “Adrien, _mon minou_ , I’m _so_ sorry.”

She clutched him tighter, holding him to her. No one had ever deserved a breakdown more than Adrien, but she was determined that she would put him back together afterwards. Adrien was _so much better_ than Gabriel, and if need be then Marinette would tell him that every day for the rest of their lives. Her kitty was strong enough to pull himself back together and come through this intact; he had her, and she had him. She would lend him all of her strength to make it happen.


	8. Chapter 8

Chloé was visibly buzzing with curiosity and irritation by the time Adrien and Marinette made it to the park. Adrien smiled faintly to himself at the pun; Marinette, snuggled up beneath his arm, glanced up and offered a shy smile of her own. He couldn’t put into words how grateful he was for her presence. She’d held him through his breakdown and never once tried to move away. As a result, he was left feeling calmer. The pain was still there, but it was tempered by the beautiful girl at his side and the knowledge of what they had to do.

“Marinette!” Alya said, catching sight of them first. Her eyes went wide as she took in their position, Adrien’s arm around Marinette’s shoulder and her arm around his waist. 

“Hey guys,” Marinette said casually. “Thanks for coming. I know you had to skip school, but this is _really_ important.”

“Uh, sure,” Nino said, since neither Alya nor Chloé seemed capable of answering. All of them watched in dumbstruck silence as Marinette let go of Adrien; since she needed both hands for this, Adrien opted to wrap both his arms around her waist and rest his chin on her shoulder. She hadn’t pushed away any of his advances yet, so he was going to push it as far as he could.

Marinette reached into her bag. “I have to apologize,” she began. “I know I made a big deal of secret identities when I first came to you, but I’ve come to realize that you can’t always know what’ll happen. It was a sheer coincidence I was able to find Adrien outside the mask. I almost lost him.” The quiver in her voice was clearly audible to Adrien, and he hugged her tighter. 

“Wait. Outside the mask?” Chloé asked, standing up straight.

“Rena Rouge, Carapace, Queen Bee. We need your help.” Marinette held out her hands, displaying the three boxes she was holding.

Nino’s jaw dropped so low that Adrien could see his bottom teeth. Alya made a high-pitched squeaking sound, like a tea kettle filled with boiling water. Chloé just froze with a blank look on her face, like her brain needed to be rebooted. Adrien had to cough to cover up a laugh, and he could see Marinette fighting a smile. Apparently they’d both done a much better job of hiding their identities than they realized.

“You… you… Ladybug?” Alya squeaked, voice still much higher pitched than usual.

“That’s me,” Marinette said.

“And… Chat Noir?” Alya’s eyes darted to Adrien.

He bowed as best he could when still wrapped around Marinette. “Hi, Alya.”

“Oh my god. Oh my _god_! _Oh my god_!” Alya got louder with every repeat. 

“You’re Ladybug?” Chloé’s voice was full of disbelief and horror. Marinette finally smiled sweetly.

“Dude,” Nino said, looking at Adrien. “That’s so awesome.”

“And later on, we can talk about how awesome it is as much as you want. But right now, Marinette wasn’t kidding when she said we needed your help,” Adrien said apologetically. He didn’t like springing this on them, but they really didn’t have a lot of time to work with.

“Of course,” Nino said without hesitation. “Whatever you need, man. I’m here.” He took the box Marinette offered him and removed his bracelet. He slid it on and grinned as Waayz appeared, holding out his fist.

“I’m not taking them back this time,” Marinette said, and that stopped Alya’s ‘oh my god’ repetition short.

Even Chloé looked interested by that. “What?”

“You get to keep your miraculouses this time. Chat and I never know when we’re going to need you, and I don’t always have time to go pick them up from… from where they’re stored,” Marinette explained. “Of course, this comes with it a high degree of responsibility. You can’t tell anyone outside the five of us.”

“And those of us who _have_ told,” Adrien added, looking pointedly at Chloé, “need to figure out how to be more discreet.”

Chloé sniffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m perfectly discreet.”

“You announced your identity on television,” Adrien said flatly. 

“What does it matter? I didn’t want to hang around with you losers outside the mask anyway.” Chloé snagged her box out of Marinette’s hand and opened it. She plucked the comb out and affixed it in her hair. Pollen appeared and bowed to her. Adrien had to admit, he got a thrill out of seeing the soft, pleased smile on Chloé’s face when she looked at her kwami.

Marinette looked at Alya. “Alya?” she asked tentatively.

“We’ll be having so many words about this,” Alya said, but she took her box.

“I couldn’t tell you,” Marinette began.

“What? Not about that! You chose _me_ , of all people, to be a superhero!” Alya was almost crying as she tied her necklace around her neck. Trixx appeared in a burst of orange and an excited wiggle.

“Of course I did! You’re my best friend,” Marinette said. “Now, you guys, listen up. Hawkmoth is going to attack with a really powerful akuma very shortly, but it’s just a distraction. This is our chance to take down Hawkmoth once and for all.”

“How do you know?” Chloé said.

Adrien felt Marinette tense, so he said, “We just know, Chloé. We’ll explain everything later. But for now, we really just need you guys to listen. We’re only going to get one shot at this.”

Chloé frowned, but she remained silent as Marinette began to outline her plan. Listening to her, Adrien was filled with a sense of pride. His partner was more than just the few qualities he’d described to his mother: she was also a fantastic leader. He hadn’t been lying when he’d vowed that he would follow her anywhere. He just wished that Marinette and Émilie could’ve met at least once.

“This sounds risky,” Alya said when Marinette was done. “Are you sure that Hawkmoth will be there?”

“Believe me, we’re _absolutely_ sure,” Marinette said. “It’s not ideal, I know. But stopping Hawkmoth will stop the akuma too, and then I can fix the damage that’s been done with my cure.”

“Well… okay.” Alya grinned. “I’m in.”

“Me too,” Nino added. 

“I guess,” Chloé said, pretending to examine her nails.

“Thank you,” Marinette whispered. “Now… we wait.”

It was true what they said: the wait was the hardest part. Adrien felt antsy, jittery with energy. It helped when he took a seat on the edge of the fountain and pulled Marinette into his lap. She came willingly, though she was blushing prettily, settling sideways across his thighs. He laid his cheek on her shoulder and she brought her hand up to run her fingers through his hair.

Nino ran and got them some food after about twenty minutes, bringing back sandwiches and drinks. Had it not been for the fact that he hadn’t eaten yet that morning, Adrien would’ve refused the food. He was nervous, but he forced himself to eat a sandwich and drink a bottle of water. If everything went right, he wouldn’t need the extra energy. If it didn’t…

It was almost eleven when the first sounds of screaming reached them. Marinette flinched, turning to look at him anxiously. The first time around, both of them had been in class when the akuma attacked. It was hard to remember since it had been a month ago and so much had happened in between, but Adrien was pretty sure he’d been coming off of a three day photoshoot that had left him exhausted. In retrospect, the timing had only added to Hawkmoth’s win.

“We can do this, My Lady,” Adrien told her.

She smiled and slid off his lap. “Tikki, spots on!”

“Plagg, claws out!”

“Trixx, let’s pounce!”

“Waayz, shell on!”

“Pollen, buzz on!”

The park filled with lights. When it was done, Ladybug removed her yoyo and looked around. “Everyone’s clear on the plan?” she asked in a no-nonsense tone. When she received four nods, she said, “Then let’s do this. We need to move fast to contain the problem.” She wound back her arm and released, using her yoyo to propel herself onto the nearest rooftop.

Chat Noir followed her, knowing that Carapace, Rena Rouge and Queen Bee would be heading in the other direction. They couldn’t be seen together, and Hawkmoth would surely be watching for them. He and Ladybug traversed the rooftops, heading for where the screaming was the louder. It was like déja vu, seeing the akuma that was waging war on tourists around the Eiffel Tower. 

“Let’s sneak up on it!” Ladybug called to him, and he nodded. Normally he would’ve tossed off a pun, but he couldn’t think of anything. His mind was blank. Ladybug shot him a worried look as she leapt down between two buildings into an alley. He followed, landing beside her and immediately pressing her into the wall to hide her suit from prying eyes.

Above them, a soft tune played on a flute. Chat Noir felt his cat ears perk up and swivel to follow and locate the sound, though he wasn’t sure where Rena Rouge was hiding. An orange globe of light was hurtled down into the alley from above. It solidified slowly and formed a perfect replica of Ladybug and Chat Noir. The illusions turned and dashed out of the alley, heading towards the akuma.

They had five minutes before Rena Rouge’s transformation would dissolve, taking their distracting illusions with her. They needed to move fast. He pulled away from Ladybug and motioned for her to follow. Being that Hawkmoth had attacked him first, Chat Noir knew what location Hawkmoth had come from. He had a pretty good idea of where Hawkmoth was right now, and this time they were going to get the drop on him first.

He could hear the akuma screaming in the distance and tried not to think about the people that it could be hurting as he and Ladybug slunk through the alley. He wrapped an arm around her waist and used his baton to propel them to the top of a nearby roof, then led her in a roundabout way to the far side of the akuma. 

And there, just as he’d expected, was Hawkmoth, watching from the Eiffel Tower.

It didn’t hurt to see him as much as Chat Noir thought that it might. He landed silently on the platform and said, “Hello, Hawkmoth.”

Hawkmoth visibly startled, whirling around. “How - ?!”

“You’re not the only one who can surprise people,” said Ladybug, stepping up beside her partner. She had her yoyo in her hand.

“Your plan isn’t going to work this time,” Chat Noir added, pulling his baton from his back. Now that he knew who Hawkmoth was, he would be better prepared if they had to fight cane-to-baton. He was, after all, intimately familiar with Gabriel Agreste’s fencing style. He flexed his fingers, but didn’t call for his Cataclysm just yet.

Hawkmoth sneered at them. “That’s what you think. You’re just children. I will not let anything stop me from winning.” He charged at them, cane held aloft. Both of them dodged.

“You might think we’re just kids, but we’re kids who are going to kick your ass!” Ladybug yelled. She darted at him and so did Chat Noir, but Hawkmoth parried their blows easily. Chat Noir had never realized how skilled his father was with fighting until they met in battle; Hawkmoth ducked and dodged with ease, coming back with punches and kicks that landed in spite of Chat Noir’s best efforts. He heard Ladybug let out a gasp of pain as Hawkmoth’s fist caught her in the ribs and growled low in his throat.

“Shellter!” 

Carapace’s green shield flew past them. Hawkmoth, already striking out with his next kick, couldn’t stop himself in time. He bounced off the forcefield that formed around Chat Noir and Ladybug and was thrown back several feet. 

“Venom!” Queen Bee bellowed, popping up from behind a beam. She leapt at Hawkmoth and stabbed her stinger into the meaty part of his left thigh. Hawkmoth started to yell with pain before the sound was suddenly cut off as he went stiff from head to toe.

The forcefield slowly died away as Carapace jogged over. “Are you two okay? That looked rough,” he said worriedly, eyes roving over them. 

Ladybug smiled faintly at him. “Just some bruises,” she said. “You two find something to tie him up with. Chat and I will be right back.”

She threw her yoyo and leapt off the Tower. Chat Noir followed. They’d been down this road with the akuma before; Rena Rouge must have recharged herself, because she’d created new illusions and the akuma was preoccupied with swiping at them. That made it easy to get the akuma’s object and destroy it. Then Ladybug caught the akuma and cleansed it.

“Miraculous Ladybug!” she shouted, holding her yoyo up. 

As the healing light swept the city, she looked over at Chat Noir with tears in her eyes. It was over.

Well, almost. There was just one more thing they had to take care of. Ladybug called the police on her yoyo and told them they’d captured Hawkmoth as she and Chat Noir re-scaled the Tower. Queen Bee, Carapace and Rena Rouge were keeping watch over the still paralyzed Hawkmoth, but Chat Noir could see that the Venom was beginning to wear off. Hawkmoth was able to twitch his fingers.

Not that it mattered. He strode over and grabbed the Butterfly miraculous, wrenching it off of Hawkmoth. Purple light suffused him and faded to reveal Gabriel Agreste. He heard, but ignored, the gasps behind him as he stared down at his father. The hateful glare on Gabriel’s face was identical to the look Adrien had received before he’d run out on his mother and father in the other timeline.

For a split second, he seriously considered rubbing what had happened in Hawkmoth’s face. Hawkmoth didn’t remember what had happened; the only reason he’d remembered in the other timeline was because he’d been the one to make the wish. This time, Chat Noir and Ladybug had made the wish and so they were the only ones who remembered. Hawkmoth would be _pissed_ if he knew he’d come that close to winning.

And he knew that Ladybug wouldn’t stop him if he chose to do that. She would understand. But standing there, looking down at his unsuspecting father, Chat Noir decided against it. Hawkmoth didn’t deserve to know that, in another life, he’d actually won and gotten to spend an extra month with his wife. That would only serve to make Gabriel that much more determined to do the same thing once he got out of jail. 

Besides, he didn’t want Gabriel to know who Chat Noir was. His father was nothing if not spiteful, and that was a truth that would be dragged before the journalists before the day was out if Gabriel knew. Life was going to be hard enough as Adrien, what with all the publicity that this was going to generate. Better to still have the freedom as Chat Noir, where he could live in the shadows and allow his beautiful lady to take the brunt of the publicity.

All of that went through his brain in less than a minute. Chat Noir shook his head and stepped away, handing the Butterfly miraculous to Ladybug. Quietly, he said, “I’m done with him.”

“Chat.” The compassion and understanding in Ladybug’s face made his breath catch. He might have done something embarrassing, like cry, had it not been for the fact that the police burst in on the scene. They were never far away when an akuma attacked, something Chat Noir had never appreciated as much as he did now.

Gabriel Agreste was summarily hauled to his feet, arrested, and led away in handcuffs. Chat Noir hadn’t realized it, but Rena Rouge had recorded the removal of the Butterfly miraculous. They had proof that Gabriel had been Hawkmoth, even though Chat Noir figured that the word of five superheroes probably would’ve been enough. Still, the footage couldn’t hurt, and might even serve to lengthen his jail sentence.

“Great job, Ladybug!” Officer Raincomprix said. “We’ll need a statement from all of you.”

“Can we come by and give it to you tomorrow?” Ladybug asked. “We’re very tired.”

He nodded. “Of course, of course. All of Paris thanks you for your hard work. It’s a relief to know that we can fall asleep tonight not having to worry about akumas.”

Ladybug smiled at him. Chat Noir stopped listening at that point, moving over to stand beside Rena Rouge. Carapace and Queen Bee had had to leave because their miraculouses were beeping. Rena Rouge looked at him with a mixture of horror and sympathy that made Chat Noir avoid her eyes. Now that it was done, he wasn’t sure how to feel – but her sympathy was making his stomach churn.

“I’m so sorry, Chat,” Rena Rouge whispered. “Are you – will you – where – ”

“He’s coming home with me,” Ladybug announced, coming up behind them and grabbing his hand. “Rena, you guys can all come over later and we’ll tell you the whole story. But for right now, Chat and I need to go. I told Officer Raincomprix that I had moved Adrien Agreste to a safe space, and told him beforehand what was going to happen. But the police still need to speak to him.” Her grip tightened.

Rena Rouge nodded. “Okay. Good luck.” She turned, leaping fearlessly off the Tower.

“Chat?” Ladybug said softly.

“I can’t believe it’s over. I can’t believe won,” he said numbly.

“Come on, _mon minou_. Let’s go home.”

He wasn’t sure he had a home now, but he went with her anyway. Ladybug slid an arm around his waist and cast out her yoyo; they swung down from the Tower’s platform and landed on a rooftop. She led him across towards the bakery. Less then ten minute afters leaving the Tower, ample time for word to get out all over Paris about Hawkmoth’s defeat, they hit the ground and de-transformed.

“You did good, kid,” Plagg said, alighting on Adrien’s shoulder. “Really good.”

“Thanks,” Adrien mumbled. 

“Adrien?”

He looked up at Marinette. She held her hand out to him. Without hesitation, he took it. She led him across the street and pushed open the door to the bakery. The hum of voices inside immediately died as soon as Adrien stepped inside. Marinette ignored them, pulling him across the bakery and into the back room, then up the stairs and into her family’s apartment. Sabine and Tom were seated in front of the television, watching the news release. Alya must’ve sent her video to the news stations, or posted it on the Ladyblog already, because Adrien had to look away from seeing Chat Noir de-masking Hawkmoth.

“Marinette,” Sabine said, half-rising to her feet.

“Maman. Papa. You know,” Marinette said, waving to the television. “Can Adrien stay with us?” She held his hand so tightly Adrien’s fingers were going numb, her expression set in a fierce look that dared either of her parents to say no.

“Of course,” Sabine said without hesitation, though she cast Marinette a curious look.

“I don’t want to impose,” Adrien said.

“Don’t be stupid. You’re my partner. You belong with me,” Marinette snapped. 

Both of Tom’s eyebrows were raised, but he said, “Marinette is right. You’re not imposing, Adrien. You’re always welcome here… though I sense there’s more to the story that we don’t know.” He looked at Marinette as well.

“Alya, Nino and Chloé are coming over later. We’ll explain everything then. I don’t want to have to go over it twice,” Marinette said. 

“Alright,” Sabine said. “Your father has to go back down to the bakery, but I’ll get you both some hot cocoa and something to eat before I go down. You look hungry.” She moved into the kitchen as Tom walked over to the steps leading down to the bakery. Adrien had the feeling they both already knew more than they were letting on, but he didn’t have the brain capacity to really think about it now.

“It’s over,” he said, and then, “I’m as good as an orphan now.”

Marinette turned around, looking stricken. “Adrien, I –”

He laid a finger over her lips to stop her. “It’s fine. It’s inevitable, wasn’t it? Things were headed this way from day one, I just didn’t know it.” He fell quiet for a moment before meeting her gaze. “He tried to get me to join him, you know. When he took my miraculous.”

Her eyes widened. “I didn’t know that.”

“I never even thought about saying yes. Not if it would mean turning my back on you. I choose you, My Lady, everytime.”

“ _Chaton_ …” Marinette took his hands into hers. “I’d choose you too.”

“I know,” Adrien said. “You were willing to put my happiness above your mother.” He still couldn’t believe that. He suddenly realized that his earlier thoughts had been all wrong; from the moment a girl in a red suit had fallen from the sky and tangled them both up in her yoyo, he’d had a home. It was her. His partner. His lady.

Marinette smiled tearfully and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so glad we’re back,” she whispered. “There were a lot of bad things about that other timeline, but the worst thing was not getting to see you every day.”

He hugged her back, pressing his face into her hair. His mom was gone. His dad was going to jail. They were going to have to face an interrogation tonight, and the next few months were going to be incredibly hard. But the threat of Hawkmoth was finally over, and he knew who his partner was and that she cared about him. So long as they were together, he could deal with whatever came next.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


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